


Only The Lonely Are Free

by Hekate1308



Category: Endeavour (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, F/M, Gen, Magical Realism, New Beginnings, New Year's Eve, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:54:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 29,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28452702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hekate1308/pseuds/Hekate1308
Summary: Win knew that she could have called Fred the second the radio transmission had ended.She should have.Once upon a time, she most definitely would have.And yet she didn’t.Because the voice she had thought she had recognized was one she would never hear again.Or so she had thought.
Relationships: Endeavour Morse & Fred Thursday, Endeavour Morse & Win Thursday, Fred Thursday/Win Thursday, Hope/Peter Jakes
Comments: 10
Kudos: 17





	Only The Lonely Are Free

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, this grew and grew and grew until I didn't know what to do with it anymore, so I decided I might as well make this a New Year's Eve story of sorts. I really hope you enjoy it, and here's to a better 2021 for all of us!!!

**Rule Number One: Only Look As Far As Your Eye Can See**

Win knew that she could have called Fred the second the radio transmission had ended.

She should have.

Once upon a time, she most definitely _would_ have.

And yet she didn’t.

She had, after all, no proof, and why should she remind him of a wound that still felt raw, even after three long years?

No; better not say anything.

Plus, the voice had clearly been disguised.

So why should it have been…

She wouldn’t mention it. She _wouldn’t_.

* * *

Fred had been working on another cold case. When they had been forced to leave, flee, Oxford, the force had scrambled to find jobs for old codgers like him and Mr. Bright; simply no one had seen the catastrophe coming, and so they’d ended up being assigned mostly cold cases. Mr. Bright had retired a year ago, but they still kept in close contact; after all, misery loves company.

There was a reason Fred had so far refused to follow his example, though.

He knew that – that _he_ – would have wanted him to keep going, and losing his home and work and – and – be damned.

Strange knocked on his door. There was someone on his way up, and no mistake, he thought morosely. Not that he begrudged Strange his position; after all, he’d always worked hard for it; but by God, there was someone else who’d deserved it as much as the Sergeant who was soon to be sent on his Inspector course, someone who had bled and been hurt over and over again during their cases –

“Sir, sorry, but Superintendent Stannis says –“

He braced himself for another undoubtedly useless order to count paperclips or something when the radio he’d turned on more out of habit than any desire to listen to music interrupted Strange with loud static.

“What the – a moment, Sergeant.”

He fumbled around with the switches – really, it was an old, rusted thing, not unlike he himself, these days – but nothing changed.

At first.

Abruptly, the static turned off again.

And a voice began to speak.

_Citizens of Great Britain._

He raised his head to look at Strange, who looked as confused as he felt. Was this some sort of prank?

_We are the changed._

_Three years ago, you left us behind; in shallow graves, on the street, in furnaces._

_Be assured: we bear you no grudge. We understand that people fear what they can’t comprehend._

_But now we’re here, we exist and we demand to be seen, to be heard. We demand the right to live._

_We will be in touch._

Another bout of static, and then the song that had been playing before resumed.

Fred stared at the radio for a moment then turned to Strange. “Any ideas, Sergeant?”

He shook his head. “Sorry, sir. Who would _do_ something like that?”

Who indeed.

Fred’s half-hope, half-fear that this would just blow over wasn’t justified.

Fifteen minutes later, he was called to the super’s office; he found Trewlove, Strange and Jakes (Inspector as of a six months ago) already there.

“Thursday. Excellent.”

“Sir.”

“I assume you can guess the reason why I called you here.” A pause, but no one said anything, knowing from experience that it had been a rhetorical question. “That… transmission. Message. Whatever you want to call it. The Bureau of the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications has been in touch. It has been determined that it was broadcast from Oxford.”

Fred’s blood ran cold. Oxford. The city he’d loved so much, ever since he and Win had moved there with the kids; the city they’d had to leave behind when it turned bad; and last but not least, the city where he’d lost…

“But there are no more people in Oxford” Trewlove said. “It was evacuated. I mean…” she hesitated. “There are the…”

“Exactly. The dead ones. The ones who died from the Plague.”

The Plague. No need to be given a proper name, they seemingly had all decided when it had swept across Fred’s city, killing thousands in one fell swoop (if that had only been the worst, oh God, but as all of those who’d had to leave their homes behind, Fred did his best not to think of the rest) and others who lingered on for a bit before succumbing, writhing with pain, often screaming.

Morse, never one to go the way of least resistance, had been one of the latter.

Or at least he would have been, if not for…

Morse.

Even after three long years, it still hurt to think of him.

At least he hadn’t died alone.

While technically, people had been allowed to go and see the ones who lay dying in quarantine, they had been required to then spend a day in hospital and to make sure they hadn’t contracted the disease no one understood, and only very few had ever decided to do so.

Fred hadn’t known Win had chosen to take the risk until he came home that night, already grieving his bagman who had at this point still been alive and found her note. They had been some of the lucky ones, and she’d returned safely and most importantly, healthy, two days later.

She’d looked at him, her eyes so full of grief. “Oh Fred”. She’d taken his hands, Joan and Sam sitting next to them at the breakfast table, but none of them eating, having as little appetite as Fred himself. “He – he passed quietly. He wasn’t in pain, at least in the end. And he knew who I was – he – he died with my name on his lips while I was holding his hand.” As she talked, silent tears began running down her cheeks, the tears of a mother for a motherless boy.

Then and now he had never been angry at her for it.

On the contrary, it had made him love her all the more.

And, at least, Morse had died only a few days before the evacuation had been ordered, which meant that he must have been burned already, and not turned into one of _them_ …

“But how can there be messages coming in from Oxford? The town was sealed off years ago” Jakes said. “No one could get in or out.”

Least of all those mindless, bloodsucking monsters.

He didn’t have to say it. They all knew.

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out. And since you were originally responsible for policing the city…”

Of course. Leave it to the bereaved citizens to do the dirty work. “What is expected of us, sir?” he asked.

“Currently we’re trying to establish a link of communication between Oxford and the authorities. That can’t be too difficult; after all, they’ve been trying to make contact.”

Whoever _they_ were.

“The thing is – If there are indeed people in there, they are right – they have every reason to demand to be treated as such.”

Yes, but how likely was that after the Plague that had taken so much from them?

“I just want you to keep ready in case we need you.”

Well, if anyone had to check this out, Fred would not allow his people to do it on their own.

* * *

Fred, Win quickly realized when he came home that evening, was preoccupied, but since he didn’t say anything, it clearly fell under the hat stand rule.

Still, she studied him over dinner, the children having gone out with their friends.

He’d aged since they had left Oxford and looked older than his years; but then, she knew that their experiences had left them all with scars. Joan had grown up, seemingly overnight, and was now much calmer and level-headed, while Sam was much less prone to pranks than he had been.

And she was well aware that she herself, too, had changed.

While she had formerly been content in her home, no matter where it was, at Fred’s parents place or later in their house, ever since the Plague, she now and then felt… restless, especially at night when she was the only one up – another new habit she’d never have dreamed she’d someday pick up before she’d been forced to grab whatever she could and leave Oxford.

As if there was a place she had to be, but she didn’t know where.

How she wished Fred could talk to her. After all, if she was right… there was only one place they had _left behind_ … and the transmission…

Fred needed until their post-dinner drink to talk to her.

He began suddenly and surprisingly with “I might have to go back to Oxford.”

Even more bafflingly her first reaction was to almost exclaim “Take me with you!” Only through sheer determination of will did she manage not to say it.

It made absolutely no sense. Why should she want to go back to Oxford? Their house was sure to be dirty and dusty, if not fallen into disrepair or having been destroyed by the… by the…

And anyway. There weas nothing left for them there.

So instead she asked “Why?”

“You heard the transmission?”

She nodded. “It was real, then?”

“The higher ups seem to think so. Although I can’t imagine it. There was nothing left; you know it.”

Yes he did. There was nothing for them in Oxford; not even a grave they could have visited, since Morse would have been cremated, his ashes scattered, to prevent him from turning into…

“It can’t be… _them_ , can it?” she asked.

Fred appeared shocked. “You saw them, Win. No sense of humanity left. And they certainly weren’t talking.”

No; in fact, one of the worst things about them had been their silence as they stalked their victims, intent on sucking their blood until they were empty husks.

Fred was right, of course; none of those they had seen would ever speak again.

At least Morse wasn’t one of them, had found peace, or at least so she chose to believe.

That dear boy, his cheeks red with fever, his eyes glazed over as he had stared at her.

_As soon as her and Fred’s call ended – as soon as she had understood that Morse was already lost, was dying, and that there was nothing anyone could do – she made her decision. People could visit the dying, they just chose not to; well, she would._

_He didn’t deserve to slip away unnoticed and uncared for._

_Nurse Hicks, who, as far as she knew, since her and Morse had become friends again at last (he definitely needed more friends) had volunteered to care for the dying, bless her heart, hesitated to let her in. “Mrs. Thursday, it’s very contagious… I can’t guarantee your safety.”_

_“I know” she said quietly. “But I can’t let him die all alone. I can’t. A mother should hold him before it ends.”_

_She looked at her, the nodded, a few tears shimmering in her eyes, mirroring those in Win’s. “This way.”_

_He was breathing heavily when she arrived, his cheeks on fire from the fever; but the rest of him was pale, so very, very pale, and she knew it wouldn’t be long. They said it usually wasn’t once the fever got high enough._

_She sat down next to him; Nurse Hicks had had a chair brought for her; and with pity she registered that she was the only visitor and apparently no others were expected, if the lack of other chairs was anything to go by._

_She took a deep breath. It was a risk, of course; a great one; but it_ had _to be taken._

_Win reached out and took his hand. “Morse?”_

_He seemed to be searching for whoever was talking to him. “Morse” she repeated._

_Still the same confused expression._

_She thought of what Fred had told her one day under the seal of confidence; but what did it matter now? It was only a question of hours at the most. “Endeavour?”_

_Finally, he managed to focus on her face. “Mrs. Thursday?” he asked, frowning in the way he always had at first when she’d shown him any small kindness._

_“Yes, dear. It’s me.” She stroked his hair, damp with sweat, with her other hand._

_He still appeared puzzled, then his eyes widened. “Mrs. Thursday, you can’t be here –“_

_“It’s done, Endeavour. And it’s Win”._ Don’t insist on formality. Not now, when we’re about to say goodbye.

_“I – I –“ a few tears ran down his cheeks. She quickly and gently wiped them away with her handkerchief as he stammered out “Thank you”._

_“You don’t have to thank me, love. Anyone would have done the same.”_

_But he shook his head, wincing at the movement. “No. You’re… the only one… who’s come since I’ve been… here. For anyone… I mean.”_

_His breathing was growing laboured; she caught Monica’s eyes across the room and knew it wouldn’t be long._

_The poor nurse was so busy she couldn’t even properly as goodbye to her friend and former love._

_“Endeavour” she said urgently, “I want you to know that… that we’ll all miss you”._

_At first she wondered if he had even understood but then he answered “I… doubt… Jakes will” with that old half-smile of his and her heart clenched._

_“Of course he will! We do love you, Endeavour. You have to believe that.”_

_“Alright… if I can’t… now… when then?”_

_“Oh Endeavour.” She leaned down and kissed his forehead, danger be damned._

_He smiled at her once more – the innocent, joyful smile of a child, and she forced herself to smile back. “Win.”_

_Another laboured breath – his last – and his eye fluttered closed, never to open again._

_It was only then that she allowed her sobs to escape her._

_Monice let her have a few more minutes with him, to straighten him up and gently pull the sheet over his curls, unruly as ever, before escorting her into her own quarantine room._

Just to imagine him becoming one of those monsters she had thankfully only seen from afar while Fred had been one of those ordered to go after them, causing her endless worries, was too painful, and so they had hardly alluded to him since her return home. Not that this made them think of him any less, she was sure.

And now Fred might have to return to the city he’d died in, the city they had loved ion for so long.

She let her gaze wander around the kitchen of the apartment they had been given upon arriving as refugees in this big, grey city. Deep down, she knew they had never been as happy here as they had been back home, and they never would be.

She wondered what had become of their house.

“Well, but nothing’s fixed yet, pet” he tried to comfort her. “Remember, the holidays are coming up. They might not do anything before that.”

She wondered why it seemed a much more terrible prospect that he shouldn’t go there than that he should.

* * *

A few days passed. There were no more transmissions, and Fred wasn’t high-up enough to be told whether or not any contact had been established.

Just as fine by him, really. As he had learned in the war, sometimes you had to let things go.

Sadly, it was easier in some ways than in others.

He thought about Morse every single day. When he’d got the call that his infection had been confirmed and he’d already been shipped off to the hospital to die, he hadn’t been able to believe it. Morse, gone just like that, senselessly dying of a disease that could potentially turn him into a monster.

Thank God for the incubators. He’d have been burned.

And yet Fred hated the very thought. Morse dying should have meant a funeral, should have meant his friends being able to say goodbye, to understand the enormity of what had happened. But as it was, only a handful of people even remembered Morse amidst the catastrophe of three years prior.

He swore to himself that, should he set foot into Oxford again, he would insist that he could at least see the hospital he’d died in and say a quick prayer for the lad. It was the least he deserved.

* * *

Exactly a week after their first impromptu conference, the rest of Cowley CID were sent for again.

Superintendent Stannis looked rather grim. “What I am about to disclose is not to be shared with anyone outside this room without expression permission, and most definitely not the general public. Have I made myself clear?”

They all nodded.

“Contact has been established. It seems that there is indeed intelligent life in Oxford”. Before they could process that fact, he continued. “And said intelligent life means _vampires_.”

It almost shocked Fred, to hear that word pronounced so casually. After everything that had happened, no one had dared say it out loud anymore; any movies depicting them had been banned; even novels like _Dracula_ had been pulled off the shelves.

“I know, Inspector” he said, apparently correctly reading his expression, “But I have been assured that they refer to themselves as such.”

“So they admit they drink blood?” Jakes said.

“There seems to be no doubt about it. According to my sources, they were very open about it.”

Open about drinking blood. Good Lord.

“And, as a sign of goodwill, they have agreed to host a select few of the former population. They promise every guarantee for their safety, of course.”

Of course. If they were anything like the monsters Fred had had to put down, they would probably wait until they had crossed the border and then start munching on them.

And somehow it wasn’t difficult to guess what the superintendent’s request would be. “Now, we think it would look much better if there were volunteers…”

No one was surprised when Trewlove was the first to indicate she’d go. Jakes shrugged and agreed as well, while Strange looked like he’d rather jump straight into Hell, and Fred couldn’t blame him.

But he also couldn’t let his old team in there alone.

Really, it was a foregone conclusion.

* * *

Fred could count the fights he and Win had had on one hand – at least real fights, not the usual disagreements between two people who loved each other and lived together and, through those two facts alone, would now and then butt heads.

But even if he could have seen this coming, he would have never guessed the exact nature of their current fight.

Instead of worrying about him going back to Oxford, demand he say no and stay where it was safe, Win was adamant that she had to come with him, and, even more unusual, she absolutely refused to give him a reason that made any sense at all.

“But, pet, there are vam-“

“You are not going without me.”

“But –“

“No buts.”

This wasn’t even the tone he remembered from when the children had been small; no, this was something different, almost feral, and he stared at her, this stranger masquerading as his wife. What was going on? “Win?”

“Fred, I need to go with you.” It was said with an air of finality, as if there was nothing he or she could do about it, and apparently there wasn’t.

Still, he tried. “Winnifred”. He had hardly ever used her full first name before, not even in their wedding vows. “I am going because it is my duty. I swore to protect the citizens of Oxford, and now that there seem to be new ones…”

“I know” she said, looking out the window but clearly not really seeing the street, or anything else, for that matter. She began wringing her hands. “I know. But Fred… everything in me tells me… I just have to go.”

It was the most irrational he’d ever seen her, and they’d been through the war.

But there was nothing he could do about that, and come to think of it, that was the same expression she’d had when she’d told him that they would get married now instead of waiting for the end of all the fighting.

Despite that, he was about to object again, then thought better of it. Whatever was going on, Win wasn’t thinking straight; but then, this was about their home, the home they’d had to leave behind although they’d never quite managed to do so.

There was no way she’d be persuaded to stay here.

“Actually” he finally confessed what he hadn’t told her before “Superintendent Stannis called us in again later, after having conferred with the authorities, and told us it might be a good idea to take civilians with us so it won’t look like we’re running an investigation.”

Even though that was what it was, really.

Win reacted how he had assumed she would – with enthusiasm, automatically and rightfully assuming that him telling her meant she could come with; thankfully, in her joy, she promised to do everything he asked her to, even if it was running away and leaving him behind if something happened.

It wasn’t much, but it was something.

* * *

It had been a ritual of theirs since they were children. Whenever something troubled them, Joan would sneak into Sam’s room and vice versa to talk after their parents had gone to bed.

And with the news they’d received during dinner, there was no doubt in Sam’s mind that his sister would show up, as she did indeed.

He immediately sat up in bed so she could take place next to him. “So, what do you think?”

“I don’t know” his sister uncharacteristically admitted, meaning she was rather worried. “I have no idea what Mum’s thinking. I mean, did you notice – she was almost _giddy_ to be going.”

He’d noticed that too. At least Dad had looked somewhat worried, but Mum… “It’s not just that, is it” he began carefully. “Ever since we had to leave Oxford, she’s been… different.”

Not in a big way, or a very notable one; but he certainly had noticed that now and then, Mum seemed strangely absent-minded, looking out the window as if searching for something or someone. At the beginning, he’d thought she simply wasn’t used to their new place yet, but it had been three years…

“I know” Joan replied. “And now this. I can’t imagine why she could possibly wants to go back there, and so shortly before Christmas at that. Best case scenario, our old house is completely trashed.”

“Maybe she left something behind…” he argued, dubiously. It was true, they’d only been able to take very few things with them; and what could Mum treasure so much that she’d still eb desperate to get it back after three long years, and them not knowing about it?” “Dad’s with her though” he said. “He won’t let anything happen to her.”

“If he can help it, Sam” Joan answered darkly, and he couldn’t blame her.

* * *

The day of the first contact, as the officials had dubbed it, dawned bright and crisp.

They had even been given cars with chauffeurs to get them to their old city; Fred morosely thought that it probably had less to do with the decorum of the situation and more with them planning to turn around and drive away to send a report the second things went awry.

Win, meanwhile, was strangely calm and collected, especially considering how adamant she had been that she had to come with him. She’d even put on her Sunday best, which had struck him as rather unusual.

“Were going home” was all she’d told the children before they’d left, “Don’t worry, we’ll be back soon.”

And that had been that.

And so here they stood, in front of the barrier that had been erected around the city after the last survivors had been evacuated.

“There will be a group to welcome you” the superintendent had told them. “They are apparently capable of opening the barrier.”

Wonderful news, wasn’t it.

“However, they have agreed to simply open it and let you in. After that, you’re on your own.”

He glanced at Trewlove and Jakes, who had both chosen to come alon; and who could blame them?

And then –

A door opened.

**Rule Number Two: Only United Are We Strong**

Yes, there could be no doubt about it: they had actually built a door, and yet had waited to make contact instead of simply getting out of Oxford the second they could.

Whoever they were.

Fred felt Win squeeze his arm. If only for her sake, he desperately hoped that this was a good sign, that these people _wanted_ to make peaceful contact.

They had been told they would have to enter the city on their own, and indeed no one stepped out. He caught the eyes of his team and nodded.

Then they moved forward.

* * *

Win wasn’t quite where she was supposed to be. Yet. She knew that much. It should have scared her; and maybe, deep down, it did, but she still felt certain that she had to go through the door as soon as possible.

Fred squeezed her arm back and she realized he most likely thought she was scared when it couldn’t have been further from the truth.

Still – she was closer to her goal, although she couldn’t even say what that goal was.

They finally began to move.

The… however they were calling themselves (vampires? Really? It seemed rather counterproductive) were waiting for them right behind the palisade. Somehow, she felt disappointed.

Was it because they looked normal? No, that couldn’t be the reason; there was something missing – something –

But a black woman in her mid-to-late thirties stepped up to them and she decided it would be better to concentrate on what she had to say.

* * *

She looked normal enough, Fred thought. But that in itself was strange. Oxford had gone bad, had transformed from their home into a hell scape almost immediately, so why should these people be normal –

And then she smiled and he saw her fangs and knew why they had not shown the slightest hesitance at calling themselves vampires.

“Hello. I am Amity.”

No last name, and apparently she wasn’t about to say anything else.

He cleared his throat. “DCI Fred Thursday. May wife, Win – Inspector Peter Jakes – Sergeant Shirley Trewlove.”

She nodded. “We were told you used to live here?”

The old familiar pain reared its head, but he fought it down and nodded instead. “Yes. Like everyone else, we were – we evacuated when –“

“When the revenants took over” she simply finished his sentence. “It’s what we call… the others.”

“Revenants?” Jakes, who apparently could not keep stumm any longer – and who could blame him – burst out.

“Yes. We call _ourselves_ vampires. It makes it easier to differentiate between us and them.” She paused. “But I am premature. It would probably be better for all involved if we proceeded –“

They were, however, not fated to find out.

For it was then that the revenants, as she had just dubbed them, attacked.

* * *

Fred had always known that the – that the revenants could move swiftly and silently, unless they snarled their terrible snarl, a deadly force; it was one of the reasons he had so very much detested patrolling the streets, as the police had been tasked with before the decision to abandon the city had been made.

They had ganged up on them with the deadly swiftness he had quickly come to dread in those days, and for one second, he believed all was lost, since they had had to come here without any weapons, but then Amity called out “Protocol One!” and Win was unceremoniously wrenched from his grasp. He wanted to yell, but Amity herself had already grabbed him – God, she was strong – and was dragging him into the opposite direction from where the male vampire was taking Win. “I am terribly sorry, Chief Inspector, but it's easier to just take care of one other person when dealing with attacks such as this. Don’t worry; we’ll soon reunite. It’s all in Protocol One.”

He did worry, and would much rather have struggled back to his wife, but her iron grip made that impossible, and so he could only allow himself to be all but carried away.

* * *

“Where are we going?” Win yelled; the vampire who’d apparently been entrusted with her (again, she should have been scared – why wasn’t she scared?) had simply taken her into his arms and carried her away.

“Don’t be afraid, Mrs. Thursday. We need to confuse them, spread them out. So that’s why –“

And that was when what should have been her end began.

Because, quite suddenly, they were attacked from behind, one of those monsters (and God, how awful it was to imagine that _he_ – but no; he had been burned, she was sure) jumping at the vampire’s back, and then Win was rolling on the ground.

“Run, Mrs. Thursday!”

The only thing she could do was to comply, even as she became aware of the horrible sounds behind her, knowing full well that the poor boy who was defending her was losing just from his cries alone, and that she could never outrun that creature…

She turned a corner and realized she’d run straight into a dead end, the debris being pilled so high on that particular street that it was impossible to climb.

She could already hear the monster’s snarl and closed her eyes, knowing fully well that there was nothing she could do.

_Fred… I am so sorry, my love, to you and the children. If I hadn’t insisted on accompanying you, you wouldn’t have to deal with this. Oh God, let him at least be alright; please let him return to them…_

And then, more shouts, more cries, and she tried to crouch behind one of the piles of debris, if only to lengthen her life by a few minutes.

And suddenly, out of the blue and yet, deep down, so very expected, a voice she’d thought never to hear again. “Do not worry; you’re safe now.”

And she looked up into eyes that she should have been surprised to see, but wasn’t, as a cold but friendly hand was reaching out to help her.

* * *

_That went down well,_ Jakes couldn’t help but think. Granted, the vampire he was with was nothing if not courteous, and they had managed to lose those things; but he was still separated from everyone he knew in a city he no longer recognized, and he couldn’t for the life of him say if he really, truly, trusted this vampire.

He didn’t even know his name.

That, thankfully, was soon amended.

“Hello” he said simply once they had stopped running “I am Resolve.”

Did they all have that kind of names? He hoped what he thought wasn’t showing on his face. “Peter Jakes, Detective Inspector.”

He nodded. “I didn’t hear anything that would indicate anyone got into trouble” Peter wondered what he considered _trouble_ , then “So we should go to the meeting point. The others will do, too.”

At least that was something. “This happen often?” he asked as they walked along streets he should have recognized in his sleep but that had undergone a sad and, he feared, final transformation.

Resolve shrugged. “Now and then. But with our protocols, and being almost as strong as them, we usually muddle through okay.”

He nodded, then wondered if he could ask questions, then realized that he had so many he had no idea how or where to begin.

**Rule Number Three: Never Look Back**

Morse – the one who had once been Morse – carefully helped her get up, smiling slightly, his fangs protruding from his upper lip. “That was close.”

“The other one…” she began, but he shook his head, his face falling. “There is nothing we can do. Valour was a friend. He shall be mourned.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.”

“He knew the risk. We all did. I suspect he ran here on purpose; he knew our patrol schedules by heart. I think he hoped I could get here in time.”

There was nothing in his eyes that spoke of any recognition, any knowledge of the history between them, of who he had been.

“I do not mean to be impolite” he continued, “But we have somewhat… elevated senses than humans, and… when you saw me… your heart rate and breathing both picked up. We know – _knew_ – each other, don’t we?”

Even if she had wanted to, she couldn’t have brought herself to lie to him. “Yes, you were –“

“Just stop, please. I’m sorry; I don’t want to be harsh; but we have decided that it would be best to leave all of that behind us.”

“What?” she couldn’t help but feel indignant, if only because of Morse. That boy didn’t deserve to simply be forgotten, even if some version of him was standing in front of her.

He shrugged, and she had the distinct impression that he himself didn’t quite agree with what he was saying. “The community cast a vote.”

“I see”.

A pause.

Then, quietly, she asked, “What now?”

“Did you hear what Amity called out when all this happened?”

“Protocol One” she remembered.

“Very well, we’ll go to that meeting place, then”.

“Wait” she hasted to say as he was already turning into the direction he had indicated, “What do I call you?”

He hesitated for a moment, if only for one; and she wondered if, perhaps, there was some recollection in him after all. “They call me Sage” he finally said.

Well, it did fit.

* * *

“I can only repeat that we’re very sorry this happened, Chief Inspector.”

Fred grit his teeth, knowing very well that exploding wouldn’t help matters. He needed to find Win, and then they’d get out of here.

Only they couldn’t, because they had given their words, and if they wanted any chance to clean up this mess, one way or another…

And so, he forced himself to stay calm – not an easy task – and asked, as matter-of-factly as he could, “You haven’t got things completely under control, then?”

“Not yet. There are so many of them, and they’re rather good at hiding… We snuff out as many as we can whenever there’s an opportunity, but you know how it is – I understand you were one of those on patrols, Chief Inspector?”

“Yes.”

“You know _exactly_ how it is, then. Problem is we’re more or less evenly matched when it comes to strength and agility – and of course there are outliers on both sides.”

“I see.”

“We were actually hoping that, in making contract, we could ensure that we’d get some help. Ammunition, for one thing.”

Fred could have pointed out that it struck him as incredibly unlikely that anyone would willingly hand over any weapons to _vampires_ of all things, but they must be aware of that themselves; why else would they have tried the diplomatic route?

“So. Amity. A virtue name” he tried to show that he was not prejudiced against them, much as it was a lie.

And oh God, did it hurt to think of Morse at this moment.

A suspicion darted through his mind – almost a hope; but only _almost_ ; did he really want him to be one of them – of, if you believed old superstitions, the damned?

“Yes. When we became aware – woke up without any memories of who we used to be and were figuring out what we were – we decided that names should be given to us based on what we perceived to be our best qualities.”

And she really was rather amenable.

“The name of the one guarding your wife is Valour, and he’s certainly earned it, so I wouldn’t be too worried.”

Again he suppressed his anger. “So you’re…” he didn’t even quite know what he wanted to say.

“If you’re asking what I assume you are asking, then yes; in many ways, we’re still trying to figure out who and what we are and where our place in society is supposed to be.”

“And… do you have any idea… I don’t mean to be impolite, but do you have any idea how this happened?”

“You mean why we aren’t bloodsucking monsters? Well, we are bloodsucking, but not monsters” she chuckled. “Not really. There have been a few theories – Sage is particularly interested in how this all came to be.”

Amity. Valour. _Sage_. He wondered how long they had waited before granting each other names. Certainly, it was one of the first things that came to mind once one woke up with amnesia? “And is there a leader?”

She hesitated ever so slightly, then shrugged. “Not really. And there aren’t that many of us, a few dozen, maybe a hundred – and some of them don’t want anything to do with the others.”

In many ways, they were still just like humans then.

And yet…

And yet. “You said you drank blook…”

“We were very open about in fact being vampires, Chief Inspector.”

Yes, but they could have been more open about the danger. Only then, they would have left them to rot, just like they had given up on their city, wouldn’t they? Fred had lain awake many a night regretting the place, and of course…

“The… no burned bodies ever came back to life, did they?”

She looked at him with eyes that betrayed the fact that she, too, could easily have been called Sage before answering, “No. And I am very sorry for your loss.”

He had been too obvious. “Thank you” was all he replied.

* * *

Shirley had been grabbed by a woman around forty – “I am Charity” – and was now being led through an Oxford she had never seen like this before.

“It was before we got our bearings” she sighed when she saw Shirley’s eyes linger on the broken windows and doors hanging in their hinges. “When they others ran out of food, they grew desperate – they still are; sadly, they don’t starve, they don’t seem capable of it – and went on several rampages. Even now, they’re difficult to control, as you’ve seen.”

“What do you do about them?”

“There’s little to but to eradicate them. And it’s not nearly as easy as it sounds. Some of them can be quite clever, and they seem to hate us as much as they ever did humans.”

Despite the fangs, it was easy to forget that she wasn’t talking to a human currently herself.

“We never knew there… I mean, no one ever…” she didn’t know how to say it.

“Oh, we awoke after the humans had left. And there aren’t really many of us. It’s no surprise that none of you realized in time; everyone was so confused back then, I highly doubt we’d even have been able to communicate.”

She nodded. Shirley had been one of the lucky ones, one who’d only ever known one victim of the Plague – Morse; and for a moment, she imagined him like the woman in front of her, pale, cold skin, fangs, no idea who he’d been…

She had no idea how it made her feel.

But no. He would have been burned.

“And you don’t know why some of you are… the way you are and others… aren’t?”

She smiled benignly. “That’s one way of putting it, and no. Maybe we just got lucky, who knows?”

Lucky… Thinking of the monsters they had barely escaped from, Shirley supposed they had. But still… “May I ask a question?”

“Of course. That’s the point of you being here.”

“What do you eat?” she said bluntly.

“Animal blood, mostly – we’ve actually started breeding those cats, dogs and rabbits that survived; I know it must sound outlandish to you, but we had to. And thankfully, there were quite a bit of stored blood left in the hospitals. But we’ll eventually have to trade for our food, another reason we decide to contact the outside world. We were hoping for a better first impression, though.”

* * *

Mo – bit she couldn’t call him Morse anymore, could she? He _wasn’t_ Morse, not the Morse she’d known.

Sage led her to a phone box that miraculously – or not so miraculously, since, at her questioning glance, he mentioned repairs they had been undertaking – was working and made a quick call, leaving the door open so she could listen in.

“Verity, here’s Sage… Our guests from Outside was attacked… I have a Mrs. Thursday here with me… It appears Valour is dead, but we can’t be sure of it yet. How does it look like in – oh, I see. We’ll go to House 2, then; please let the others know. They’re following Protocol One. Thank you”.

He hung up. “It seems there’s a lot of activity in this part of town right now. It will be best if we repair to one of our safe houses and wait it out. Normally it doesn’t take long. Do you trust me to keep you safe?”

She nodded. She did trust him, completely and utterly. “Yes. And it’s Win.” She could insist upon that now, at least.

“Win” he said in a repetition of the very last time she’d seen him alive, only this time, it wasn’t followed by her having to say farewell; instead, they made their way through Oxford.

Did it seem as if he remembered having walked those very streets before? With a jolt, she realized they weren’t far from their home, and that it seemed dreadfully unimportant, since she had already found what she was looking for.

His thoughts seemed to follow the same lines since he suddenly announced, “I think I would have found you regardless of Valour’s cries, Win; as if I was meant to. If this sounds strange to a human, I apologize –“

“Don’t” she was quick to interrupt him. “I can feel it too.”

That’s why her thoughts had so often strayed to Oxford, she suddenly and undoubtedly correctly realized, without being able to say how. But she had felt, deep down, that he was still around – Morse or Sage or whatever he called himself – she had known.

“Don’t be scared, as soon as we reach the safe house, they won’t be able to –“

“I’m not scared” she said quietly, again compelled by the connection between them. “I’m with you.”

He looked at her. “That seems to be the way it is now” he finally agreed.

And they moved on.

* * *

Fred and Amity were the first to arrive at the meeting spot, one of their safe houses, as she explained, although by God, did it look just as bad as the other ones on the street.

Almost as soon as they had arrived – he was just getting his bearings and noticing that the house did indeed look in much better repair inside than out – when the phone rang.

Amity answered. “Hello, here is Amity… Yes, I am, here with DCI Thursday… Oh? It’s a relief to hear they are safe, anyway. I’ll pass it on.”

After she had hung up, she told him about Win and the fate of the vampires whose task it had been to protect her. “We don’t know for sure about Valour yet” she said, her voice trembling slightly – the first sign of agitation he had seen in her – “He might have made it, he might not have. But your wife – her and Sage are on the way to another of our safe houses; they plan to spend the night there, as we should here, just to make sure things calm down. Everything is fine.”

He highly doubted that many people would have agreed with her, but there was nothing he could do but trust her. After all, they had sought contact – and until now, there was no sign that this had all been a trap. Otherwise, why would they had protected them – even with their lives?

Still, he would have felt infinitely better if he had been with Win.

* * *

“There we are” Mo – Sage pointed at a house that, at first glance, looked as dilapidated as the rest of the street. “They revenants are not fully without some understanding” he explained when he saw her expression. “It’s best to give the impression every single dwelling is inhabitable.”

She nodded; that made sense to her.

“There’ll be food in the fridge, too.”

“I thought you didn’t need…” she trailed off. It was hardly polite to ask a – to ask a vampire something like that, surely?

And yet she felt that she could have asked him anything and received a truthful answer, as she indeed did.

“We need blood to survive, yes” he said bluntly, “But some of us enjoy other food as well.”

“Do you?”

He thought about it for a second and she wondered if his hesitation had to do with him having so few proper meals when he had been human. “I have nothing against it” he finally told her.

She nodded, wondering if she should offer to cook something for them both, like she had that afternoon he’d fallen asleep on their sofa after being slashed at, the poor boy…

Only he didn’t know about that, had told her she shouldn’t think about it.

Yet how could she not?

The house, it quickly turned out was comfortably furnished, with all apparent needs of comfort; she was surprised, then chided herself; she could hardly expect them to sleep in coffins, could she?

There were weapons too; Sage quickly explained that they hadn’t been carrying any as a show of good will (which had had them at a disadvantage) and that they would take some with them when leaving.

She had scarcely had time to get her bearings when three distinct knocks rang out on the door.

Sage frowned. “I didn’t think any patrol was supposed to pass by yet… they normally check the safe houses, just in case someone needs help.”

As it turned out, it was the other way round. The second he opened the door, Valour fell in, his chest streaked with dark-red (almost black, truth be told) blood.

“Valour!”

Sage caught him and carried him to the sofa without as much as a by-your-leave, his fear of blood Fed had told her about apparently long forgotten (but of course it would be). “What is it? Where does it hurt?”

She quickly moved. “May I? I was a nurse during the war…”

Sage nodded, something like relief crossing his face. “What do you need?”

“Hot water, and whatever first-aid you can provide.”

He moved faster than she wud have been capable of.

“Now, let’s take a look…”

It wasn’t nearly as bad as she had feared; a few somewhat nasty-looking cuts that thankfully didn’t go to deep.

“Thank you, Mrs. Thursday.”

“It’s Win, Valour; you certainly have earned that much. And I have to thank you –“

“I was just doing my duty.”

“Still.”

Sage came back carrying everything she needed. He was a quick and efficient help; as she worked, he said quietly, “I am glad you made it, my friend.”

She was ready to bet that once upon a time, he would have hesitated to call people friends even though he had known them for years, but she reminded herself again that she didn’t really know this vampire.

“I could say the same, Sage. I was very happy to remember that you were near; I felt certain Mrs. Thursday would be safe with you.”

“As she was with you.”

He smiled slightly. “For a time, maybe.”

“So” she decided “That’s dealt with. I’ll see if I can cook up some broth for you.”

“I don’t think –“

“Trust me, Valour” Sage interrupted him, looking at Win with his eyes sparkling not unlike they used to when he came to their home with his theories about a case, “Resistance is futile.”

He shot them a curious glance but said nothing.

At least not as long as she was in the room.

Once she was in the kitchen, though…

Win knew it wasn’t very polite to eardrop, but her name fell, so…

“What’s this between you and Mrs. Thursday, then?”

“I don’t know what you mean?”

It was quietly said, but it was calmly said, and she wondered if he’d become a better liar since he’d died.

“Yes you do.”

Maybe not.

“The way you look at and move around one another… as if you’ve known each other for years.”

“They’re the first humans we’ve met, maybe that’s –“

“Do you forget that I’m a vampire as well? And I certainly didn’t… feel like _that_ when I met Mrs. Thursday.”

A pause.

Then, quietly, “I cannot explain it. But there is something between us… a connection… a bond… a link, if you will. Win has already let me know that we… that we were acquainted… before.”

He didn’t have to clarify what he meant.

“But that’s –“

“I know. But God help anyone who wants to separate us now.”

She wasn’t surprised to find she agreed whole-heartedly with him. No; they couldn’t tear them apart now; whatever this link, whatever this bond was, it was theirs to keep.

“I’ve never seen you like this before, Sage.”

“I think it’s safe to say this hasn’t happened before, Valour.”

She suppressed a smile. At least his somewhat acerbic sense of humour hadn’t changed.

“Boys?” she called out. “Dinner’s almost done!”

The stunned silence that follower her announcement told her that they hadn’t had anyone take care of them since they woke up in this new existence, and her heart went out to all of them.

“Safe told me you can eat human food as well” she said cheerfully when they came into the kitchen “And it’s certainly going to do you good, with your wounds.”

“We have a somewhat faster metabolism than humans when it comes to such things…” Sage began.

“Even better, then!”

He didn’t seem to quite know what to say, but he didn’t have to anyway. She just wanted them to be properly cared for.

Sage was already setting the table, and she was once more struck – as she had been while she had been tending to Valour, only that she’d been preoccupied at the time – that she very rarely, if ever, had to ask him to do anything; he always knew what was needed, or at least – when it came to her…

Valour was studying them both with shrewd, if slightly confused, expression.

“It looks delicious, Win.”

“Thank you, dear”. The endearment slipped out before she could control he tongue, but unlike in his human life, when he would have turned into an embarrassed, stuttering mess and tried to disentangle himself from the conversation as quickly as possible, now he simply nodded at her, a slight smile on his face.

God, how often had she wished that he would more easily accept affection from those who loved him during his lifetime?

Valour was still watching them, apparently as confused now as he had been before his and Sage’s talk.

She couldn’t blame him. Win herself had yet to find an explanation, and how should she do so when Sage obviously had no idea what was going on?

She only knew that she was safe as long as she was with him, and she was going to do to her outmost so that he could feel the same in her presence, even though she had little chance to defend him against these… monsters.

Yes, monsters; for she couldn’t call them vampires anymore. Not when the others, the real vampires, like Sage and Valour, were trying so hard to make them feel welcome, to rid Oxford of those creatures. Revenants; that was their name.

“How many of you are there?” she asked finally.

“I thought we gave the authorities all the necessary information” Valour frowned.

“Exactly, and they kept it to themselves” Sage sighed, “As was to be expected. Well, there are about one hundred of us, although not all choose to be part of the community.”

Much like humans, then.

“And of course, we’ve lost one or two…” Valour added, sounding unsure – whether or not to impart the information, she realized.

Sage, naturally, had no such qualms. “There was a priest – he decided that we were all damned. He set himself on fire. Maybe if we had found him in time… but all there was left by the time we got to him was his burned corpse and a note explaining his motivations.”

“Sage…”

“Win can take it, I’m sure. You can” he turned to her “can’t you?”

“Don’t worry. I lived through the war. What is this compared to a few bombs going down?”

Sage smiled at her, then grew serious. “Really, this is most unlucky; we were hoping to make a better impression than that.”

“It’s hardly your fault they attacked.”

“Might even have been drawn to you because of the scent of your blood” Valour suggested and Sage shot him a dark look.

“Oh don’t worry, you already told me about your heightened senses, remember?” Really, it was no surprise they could smell their blood – it made sense, didn’t it? They were predators.

Predators of humans. And yet Win didn’t feel the least bit afraid.

As a matter of fact, now that she was thinking about it… “It’s nice of you that you ate my cooking, but don’t you two need a little blood? I am sure I could…”

“Thank you, Win, but we’ve got our flasks” Sage showed her his “And we all made sure to drink enough before the delegation arrived.”

“Just making certain.”

“You’re not quite like I imagined” Valour blurted out, then quickly apologized. “I didn’t mean –“

“It’s perfectly fine”. It really was. How were they supposed to know what humans were like? They had lost all their memories, and so why should they know how they would react?

Suddenly, she thought of Fred; it was the first time he had crossed her mind (other than in connection to Morse) since she had met Sage.

How strange it was.

It must have been because of the fate that had bound them together.

She wondered whether this had to do with her coming to see him on his deathbed, but he’d asked her not to talk about the past…

“So, Mrs. – Win” Valour then tried to make small talk, and guessing her thoughts, “You came her with your husband – I understand he’s a detective?”

“Yes” she said, wondering if this would lead to Sage remembering – once, he had been one as well, and the best one Fred had ever worked with, as he had continued to insist long after he had been gone. “He used to work for the Oxford City Police, but when we had to… evacuate, he got transferred to London. He’s been working on cold cases ever since.”

“Hah”. He nudged Sage. “Should think we are cold cases in a way, aren’t we? With everything…”

“Valour…”

“Yes, yes, I know, leave the past in the past”. He glanced at Win again, clearly unimpressed with how Sage was handling that particular part of their agreement.

She instinctively came to his defence.

“Sage has told me very clearly we are not to discuss… anything that happened before.”

He shook his head. “Doesn’t make sense to me” he muttered, “It’s where we came from, after all.”

“We might not like what we learn” Sage replied simply and her heart went out to him. Even now, when he had no idea who or what he had been, he didn’t think himself worthy of being remembered.

“Who says that?” she asked vehemently.

Their expressions suggested they had a name in mind, but chose not to disclose it. Well. At least that was something she could work with –

“And, Win, do you have children?” Valour suddenly asked brightly – obviously fake-brightly, if Sage’s glare was anything to go by.

Oh God, her children. Another topic that seemed to have slipped her mind completely.

“Yes. A girl and a boy – no, a daughter and a son, I should probably say – they’re grown now, of course –“

“I would never have guessed” Valour said so artlessly that she simply had to laugh. But even then, she watched Sage carefully; he had always liked Sam, and Joan… well, she’d had her suspicions, so maybe… maybe…

But nothing – at least nothing betrayed if he remembered at all.

As a matter of fact, he grew more and more mono-syllabic – and as such, more and more like Morse when she had succeeded getting him over her doorstep – as time went on. She did her best to fill the silence, talking to Valour, but Sage barely even seemed interested, and it hurt in a way she had never realized it could.

She had missed Morse, of course. They all had. And yes, there was something of the tenderness she had always felt for the young constable – the need to mother him, make him feel better, more at peace with the world and his place in it – but at the same time, she needed something more from Sage – needed the closeness, the openness she had already gotten used to even though they had only met properly today. Just a few hours ago, in fact. But that had been enough to make her feel as if things had always been this way.

She knew, of course, that Valour’s presence was holding them both back. As grateful as she was to him, they weren’t as close as –

But her and Sage weren’t close, were they? Even though she’d just used that word, even though she could feel it in her bones, it just wasn’t true.

And yet…

“Well, we should be able to get you back to them soon enough” Valour continued and this time, she got a reaction – a moment in which Sage simply stared at her in shock.

She felt the same way.

_I am going to have to leave him behind again._

As of now, there was no plan to reintegrate the vampires back into their society, or let any humans back into Oxford once they had left once more; and leave they would.

And would it feel like it had before? Would she sometimes stand at her window at night and stare into the skies, knowing that part of her had been left behind? Or would it be infinitely worse now that she knew what, or rather, who that part truly was?

And wasn’t just thinking about any of this rather insane? She had built a life in London, her _family_ had built a life for themselves in London – how could the thought of returning to it fill her with dread?

Valour was at least sensible enough to realize it wasn’t a topic either her or Sage cherished, so he changed it.

“So, tell me about movie theatres?”

She stared at him. “I’m sorry?”

“Valour is fascinated by television and movies” Sage said dryly. “Personally, I don’t see the point.”

“Yes” Valour suddenly declared with all the enthusiasm of a little boy “That’s because you’re boring.” He turned back to Win. “The first time I managed to get one of the TVs working – it was a revelation! They were broadcasting –“

And as he kept rambling on, she realized that he wasn’t just as enthusiastic like a little boy, but in some ways, he _was_ a little boy. None of them were older than three years – none of them recalled the experiences that had led to them waking up in Oxford one day.

“Not that he has any right to complain” he said, nodding towards Sage, and she noticed that he was only fondly exasperated.

Friendly bickering. They were actual friends.

It was at least nice to know that Sage had those he cared for and those who cared for him – and that he allowed people to do so.

“You should have seen his face when he first turned on a record player”.

Oh. So his love of music was the same.

Although, it quickly turned out, there were certain changes – now that she’d found another topic that interested Sage, she jumped at the chance, and quickly found that he listened to all kinds of music these days – she supposed he didn’t have that much choice and had to make do with what he could find.

How very like the few times she’d seen him discuss cases with Fred – the colour that somewhat came back to his face, the sparkle in his eyes, the honest joy he conveyed through his expressions alone.

Valour got up, obviously in pain, declaring he’d rather lay down for a bit; she immediately agreed, knowing that he would feel better for it in the morning, and went to make herself and Sage a cup of tea.

As she was pouring the water in the cups, he stepped up to her and they stood side by side at the painted-over window.

“I used to do this, at the beginning” he said suddenly. “Standing at the window at night, trying to get my bearings – and always –“

“Looking in the same direction” she said softly. “Waiting for you don’t know what.”

“Exactly.”

Their eyes met as she handed him the cup. Abruptly, he asked, “What do you think your children are doing at the moment?”

“I don’t know. Maybe meeting with some friends, after all, Christmas is coming up…” she trailed off, unsure whether the word would even mean something to him.

But he just nodded. “We know of human holidays.”

“Then you know that it’s important to us.”

“Yes. And like you said, meeting friends… being with family…” he turned to look out the window again. “There’ve been no cases of more than one person from the same family waking up.”

So they had been all alone. “I am sorry.”

“It’s alright; it might just have made things more complicated. And I think I was alone before that, too.”

 _You had us_ , she wanted desperately to say. _You always had us_. “I… it must have been so difficult for all of you.”

“Mostly it was confusing” he told her frankly, “And dangerous. At the beginning… the others…”

She shuddered remembering them, their faces… those monsters… and but for the Grace of God, he might have been one of them.

“You must miss them. Your children and your husband. I could see if I could get him on the phone…”

“No, no, that’s not necessary. I assume there’s all kinds of protocols in place?” She hadn’t been married to a policeman for decades for nothing, after all.

He nodded.

“He’ll be safe then; that’s the most important thing.”

She tried to convince herself of that.

She really did.

* * *

Sage wouldn’t hear of anything but her taking the one proper bed in the place, of course, and Valour had already chosen the sofa despite his wounds; she couldn’t help but think even more highly of them for it.

As she tried to sleep, Win desperately hoped that this incident wouldn’t harm the tentative relations between vampires and humans. They certainly deserved their own place in society, and they were so desperate for some kind of connection; she knew that like she knew that Sage had held onto her, beyond death, and that their fates were now bound together, for better or worse.

It must have been that she had been with him – with Morse – when he had died; and that was because no one else in Oxford seemed to be sharing something like this with a human. Or maybe – maybe they kept it quiet; although someone like Valour, who seemed incapable of lying, didn’t strike her as the type to do so.

Still – here she was, now; and God help anyone who tried to keep her and Sage apart.

She thought of Fred. What would he say? He and Morse had been so close, and she knew he had missed him as well.

She hoped he’d find a bed to sleep in as well.

* * *

Fred couldn’t sleep, but that was no surprise. Amity had been nothing if not polite and friendly the entire evening, even providing him with a meal and extra blankets since the house was somewhat cold – although she probably didn’t feel it, with her cold, pale skin and all.

But of course he couldn’t sleep. Win was out there with another vampire.

Oh, she’d get by; he had no doubts about that – she’d survived in London when the bombs had gone down, and she’d always been good with people, whether they drank blood or not; but still…

Yet Amity had assured him the one who was with her was alright…

He couldn’t take it anymore; he got up and walked around.

Amity was sitting at the kitchen table, going through some papers, and raised her head immediately when he walked in. “Chief Inspector. Do you need anything?”

He shook his head. “Fancied a cup of tea, that’s all. Would you like one as well?”

Her astonished expression suggested she wasn’t used to such small favours.

The silence was excruciating – apparently not to Amity, but then, she wouldn’t know anything about such conventions, would she – and once he’d put the kettle on he said, “We’d be bringing on the decorations by now.”

“Oh. Christmas. We’ve seen it on television.”

She sounded like a strange being… but then she was one, wasn’t one? “Yes” he said for lack of any other answer.

“We’ve not yet had time to establish any such customs.”

Quite frankly, Fred was ready to bet that they had been busy with the other vampires, those who had nothing human left in them…

God, how glad he was that Morse was not one of them.

“Any idea why it’s you? And the others?”

He shouldn’t have asked that.

She simply looked at him with eyes that were too old and too young at the same time. “You lost someone, Chief Inspector; I suspected it before and am sure of it now. But your family is complete and well.”

“Yes. But you don’t have to be related to grieve.”

She nodded, as if he’d proposed a theory that made sense.

“I didn’t even get to say goodbye” he finally admitted to her what he’d never been able to acknowledge to himself.

“What was he like?”

If Amity was anything to go by, vampires were polite and decent enough, but blunt, something that, quite frankly, Fred had no right to find in any way offensive. “Cleverest chap I ever met” he finally answered after thinking about it for a moment, “Even if he wasn’t the best with people – he made up for it by being the bloody best detective there ever was in Oxford. Loved music and crosswords puzzles, whatever could keep that giant brain of his occupied, I suppose. And yet he had his heart in the right place; helped the helpless, protected those who couldn’t do so themselves.” As a matter of fact, Fred was ready to bet that that was how he’d caught the Plague in the first place – despite the orders not to get close to those not living in the same household, there had been a few rather poor families near Morse’s place, and he’d brought them food more than once…

“Not that it mattered, in the end” he said somewhat bitterly. “They still carted him off like all the others, and he almost died alone.”

He had never spoken about Morse like this. With his family, there had been no need – they had all known, and they had all remembered him in their own way; and the colleagues at work… it had almost been as if there was something preventing them from speaking of him. As if it would have been sacrilege to do so.

“Almost?” she asked, so artlessly that he couldn’t bring himself to be angry at her.

“My wife… she went to visit him. Held his hand as he…” he trailed off.

“That was courageous of her. Many wouldn’t have done that. We know from the documents the humans left behind.”

“Never one to back down, our Win. She said she wouldn’t have been able to look at herself in the mirror if she hadn’t done it.”

 _Win_ … God he hoped she was alright.

“I meant what I said, Inspector” Amity said softly, guessing his thoughts. “She’s in good hands. Everything will be fine.”

There was nothing he could say to that, as they drank their tea in surprisingly comfortable silence.

**Rule Number Four: Do Not Trust Those Who Don’t Understand**

Win woke up and wanted to check on Valour, but he was already up. She rather got the impression that she had interrupted a discussion between him and Sage as she joined them in the kitchen. “Oh dear, are you sure you shouldn’t still be resting?”

“We heal somewhat faster than humans, Win” Sage said. “I already checked his bandages.”

That was new – no, not new; but Morse, by the time he’d met Fred, had already learned to hide his caring side somewhat, whereas Sage knew no such qualms.

“Still, are you sure everything’s fine?”

Valour smiled. “Yes, Win, you don’t have to worry.”

Sage somehow wouldn’t quite meet her eyes and she immediately asked, “What is it then?”

Valour suppressed a smile as Sage seemed to come to a decision and turned to her. “Quite frankly, neither Valour nor I like the coincidence that we were attacked just as we received you. If there is a way to lure the revenants to a place – and why shouldn’t there be…”

“I would have just accepted it” Valour told her frankly, “but if Sage’s right – and he normally is – then we have a problem.”

“You mean” she said slowly, her eyes never leaving Sage’s “That there might be someone –“

“Who doesn’t want vampires and humans to peacefully co-exist, yes.”

A shiver ran down Win’s spine.

* * *

They were finally making their way to the meeting place – what Sage had called the Town Hall while telling her – where they could go to meet up or just if they were feeling lonely, and also received all the assistance they needed.

Win was walking between Sage and Valour, them being on the lookout at all times.

Not that she believed it was necessary; on the contrary, she felt completely safe.

As long as she could stay with Sage, she knew, this would continue.

* * *

Peter had spent a quiet night in a safe house and was now following Resolve through streets he had once known like the back of his hand once more. After so many years in which he hadn’t had a proper place to stay, Oxford had become his first real home; and to see it in this dilapidated state was almost too much too bear.

He wondered what they had done with Morse’s ashes and found himself hoping that they had been scattered in the wind, rather than buried or dumped into the river; imagining that a part of Morse would always stay here, always around, always on the lookout. It was what he would have wanted, he was sure.

“I used to live around here” he suddenly said.

“Yes, well, I’m rather sure it’s not safe for humans anymore.”

He knew that. God, how well he remembered those last few days in a city that was doomed already… Everybody just waiting, waiting for the restrictions to be lifted, for the evacuation order, for their last chance to get out…

And then, the final blow; Morse’s diagnosis and death. The Old Man had aged ten years on that one day, and he’d never really recovered.

At least he didn’t have to deal with one of the reasons that Peter had mourned far more than he had ever imagined – that he’d never known quite how used he’d grown to Morse, or that he had actually meant something to him. Something like a friend.

“You look rather pensive.”

One thing he would say about vampires was that, as far as he could tell, they were unfailingly honest.

Because they never learned how to deceive people, he thought. They didn’t have to. “Well, like I said, I used to live around here; and there was – I had a friend who died from the Plague in the last few days before the evacuation.”

Now Resolve was the one making a pensive face. “I don’t think we’ve considered the grief factor so far. Humans are bound to wonder, aren’t they, why we are here and others…”

“Yes” he hastened to say “But there’s no reason to think the plan will in any way be endangered.” How ironic – now he, Peter Jakes, who really had every reason not to, was the one defending humanity. “I mean, this was all just a coincidence, right?”

“If you say so” he said courtly, surprising him.

And just like that, his instincts were awakened.

It was rather strange, wasn’t it – the vampires would have been especially careful on that day, and yet they had been attacked and where scattered throughout Oxford now…

He decided to talk it all over with the Old Man, once they had arrived at their destination.

* * *

Charity had been nothing if not pleasant the entire evening; as a matter of fact, Shirley was rather beginning to consider her a friend. She was kind, and quite funny – and she had answered all her questions.

As to the one she’d been most interested in, she’d shaken her head. “I’m afraid not; the records are incomplete as it is, and those last few days must have been absolute mayhem…”

Shirley had known that would most likely be the case, and yet she’d had to ask.

“You liked him, didn’t you? The one you’re thinking of?”

Shirley smiled a sad smile. “We were friends. He was a bit… well, he could be stroppy and some people didn’t like that; but I did.”

Charity nodded. “It can’t have been –“

But Shirley was not to hear what couldn’t have been because suddenly, the revenants were upon them. 

* * *

They were close to that town hall, or so when had gathered, when they heard the commotion one or two streets over.

Sage stiffened. “Someone’s being attacked.”

“I’ll go” Valour said promptly. “You take Win and –“

“No” Sage interrupted him. “You’re doing better, but you’re still hurt. I am not letting you go to your death. Now, Win, there is another safe house, just two streets away; you can stay –“

“No” she said, firmly, because she couldn’t do anything else, because she had to, because this was how things had to be. “Where you go, I’ll go.”

He looked into her eyes and understood. He nodded. “Fine.”

“But Sage –“

“Valour, we have to go.” He turned to Win. “I assume you can shoot?”

She nodded. “Fred taught me.”

He handed her one of the weapons they’d taken from the safe house.

* * *

When they three had descended upon them, Charity had implored her to run, but Shirley wouldn’t hear of it. Once upon a time, she had sworn to protect the citizens of Oxford, and that was what Charity and the others were, these days – she’d be damned if she left her to rot.

She hadn’t been surprised to learn that they were normally armed, nor that they kept weapons at the safe houses, so she didn’t bat an eye when Charity handed her a revolver – or why the others had kept to snarling until now; it seemed that, despite their animalistic nature, they had already learned to fear bullets. “I assume you know what to do with this?”

She nodded.

“I’m sorry to say that, while we have the weapons, munition tends to be rare. We only have a certain amount of it, you see, since we don’t trade with the rest of England yet. So…”

Seemed like this was rather more dangerous than she had believed, but it didn’t matter; she’d meant when she’d decided not to run.

“Aim for the head. It’s apart from fire the only thing that stops them.”

She nodded again.

* * *

It quickly transpired that the biggest problem was that they were bloody fast, and they know how to dodge; and between them, Charity and Shirley had only nine shots. Nine for three would not have been so bad if they had been fighting humans, but in this case…

Both of them had missed twice already.

Down to five, then.

They’d managed to hole up behind some barricade or another that had at one point been erected; while it would have been ever so easy to blame the vampires, Shirley remembered those days before the evacuation and that some people had only been too eager to take the law into their own hands. It had been one of the reasons she’d distributed care packages among her neighbours, as she’d felt sure – since she’d one day seen him with a basket on the street – had Morse; only that she hadn’t had to pay the price he’d paid.

“Do you think we can get them?”

“We might have to leave our cover” Charity said quietly. “And I’m sorry to say it doesn’t look –“

And then, suddenly, shouting, and angry screams from the vampires; shots –

“Get out?” Shirley asked and Charity nodded.

At first, Shirley was only able to tell that there appeared to be three newcomers, and that they must have more ammunition than they had.

One of the other vampires snarled and ran directly towards her, only he was zig-zagging, and she wasted another bullet –

His head all but exploded regardless and she stared at – “Mrs. Thursday?”

She smiled rather ruefully. “I’m afraid that’s a longer story than we have time for, dear.”

“Charity!” someone called out. “Bring the humans away from here –“

“Don’t you even dare think about it!”

Shirley was wondering where she had heard the voice before, and why Mrs. Thursday was so adamant that they should not be moved, but didn’t have time as one of the other two newcomers yelled as he was attacked, but they were already too close for a shot –

And then the other one – the one who must have called out to Charity – managed to separate them, fling the creature on the ground and dispatch of him while Shirley herself reeled around to find herself with a clean shot of the last one.

And then it was over and she was staring at the vampire who’d killed the second one.

Small wonder she’d thought the voice familiar. “Oh my God.”

* * *

To this moment, Win had only ever thought of Fred when contemplating that Sage would soon meet the others, and she could only chastise herself for it. After all, he’d had friends and colleagues – and one of them was standing in front of him now.

“Oh my God” Sergeant Trewlove repeated, but she quickly laid a hand on her arm.

“Don’t. They don’t want to know about their past lives; Sage’s been very firm when it comes to that.”

“Sage…”

She nodded. “Fits, doesn’t it?”

She actually managed to smile. “It does.”

“Come on, let me introduce you.”

As she did so, she realized how natural it felt already.

**Rules Number Five: Don’t waste time on pointless speculations**

“I don’t like this” Valour said. “Why are the revenants so active yesterday and today, of all days? They’d been quite for weeks now, apart from the occasional lone one… I don’t understand.”

“I don’t think there’s much to understand yet” Sage replied, but Win could tell he was thinking quickly. And undoubtedly – just when they had met – he had noticed her reaction to him. And yet he hadn’t said a word.

She wondered if it was really that wise, not looking for clues as to who they had been. After all, Sage still liked music and was, deep down, still the same friendly boy he had always been; there was no reason to deny that. And if they wanted to move forward, they had to know what lay behind them.

* * *

“Thank you” Sergeant Trewlove told them as they continued on their way.

“You’re welcome” Sage simply said. “We are glad we were there to help.”

“As am I” Charity – Win had immediately taking a liking to her as she had run over almost immediately to check up on Sage and Valour, to ensure they hadn’t gotten hurt – piped up. “We simply didn’t have enough bullets.”

“We’ll need more anyway; that’s one of the points we need to talk to the humans about” Valour said.

Now, there, Win could see problems ahead. It was one thing to decide that someone who could walk, talk, and was clearly a thinking being should be allowed to have contact with society; but it was something else to explain that yes, they were vampires who drank blood on a regular basis, and yes, they still should have bullets for their guns. She herself would be ready to swear to anyone that they were perfectly – well, not harmless, but there was no danger to humans involved; but who would believe her?

She suddenly noticed that there was a bruise forming on Sage’s right hand and took it to check it out without even thinking about it. “Oh, dear, does it hurt?”

If Sergeant Trewlove was surprised at the familiarity she allowed herself with him, she didn’t show it.

“I banged it against a wall when one of the revenants attacked and I had to dodge him; really, it’s nothing…” he trailed off looking at his hand in hers and she remembered.

_I held his hand like this as he lay dying. And a part of him knows it._

He looked her in the eyes and very gently but decidedly pulled his hand away.

“So, Win, you’re Chief Inspector Thursday’s wife… I understand you used to live here?”

Charity had clearly noticed a distraction was needed.

* * *

When they’d heard the gunshots, Peter had wanted to intervene, but Resolve had calmly explained that they were too far away and that whoever was dealing with some revenants (at least that was the most likely scenario) would have to do so on his own.

He didn’t like it one bit, but there was nothing he could do.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

“I – what is it exactly you want? The vampires, I mean? I get that you’re not looking for snacks or anything like it, but…”

“That’s quite easy, really. We’ve been doing as well for ourselves as we could, but there are things we need if we wish to build up our society based on solid principles…”

There was… something Peter didn’t quite like; maybe it was his tone of voice, maybe it was the way he seemed to lecture him. Or maybe he was just tired of this strange version of Oxford, where the streets were trashed and revenants could attack at any time.

* * *

Shirley was walking a little behind Mo- Sage and Mrs. Thursday, since it had quickly become obvious that these two wouldn’t be parted.

She didn’t understand. She knew that Mrs. Thursday had liked Morse; had heard about her bravery to come see him as he was dying, alone, in hospital, and had wished she’d shown the same heart; but this was something else.

The Morse she’d known would never have allowed someone to take his hand just like that.

But they both seemed satisfied and comfortable in each other’s company, which was quite something, considering they were talking about a human and a vampire.

Yet… it was easy to forget. Yes, there was the pale skin, and the fangs were a giveaway; but Charity was as friendly as any human woman would have been (although she probably hadn’t been as good with a weapon back when she was still alive), Valour was a kind man, and Sage…

Sage. So like and yet so unlike Morse – the late constable had never been so at ease in company. But the intelligence glittering in his eyes; the need to make sure others were safe, even if he had to throw himself into danger to ensure it; and the way he didn’t seem tired at all, just like he’d foregone sleep when they had been on a hard case; yes, that was Morse all over.

Sage really _did_ fit him. She suddenly wondered who had first started giving them virtue names, and how they had had the idea in the first place.

There was also this other thing… how she wasn’t supposed to know him. And yet she knew that he knew, and that he knew that she knew that he knew. His eyes had widened ever so slightly as he had taken her in, and he’d been very carefully polite when shaking her hand.

Shirley herself didn’t think much of this rule. They had to be curious as to how they had come to be – and what if a few of them still had family? Morse, for example – his sister… she would undoubtedly be glad to have her brother back, fangs and all. Shirley herself, despite everything, felt ecstatic that he'd escaped the fate of becoming a revenant, and more than that – that he was now obviously a person others looked up to, for there could be no mistaking that both Valour and Charity turned to him when they had question or decisions had to be made.

Yes, she was glad to have found him again.

However, other things had to be considered.

For example, she couldn’t imagine that DCI Thursday would obey the rule. No, he’d probably get angry if they told him he couldn’t speak to Morse as he had longed to for so long. For Shirley had been there and had seen him turning around countless times to tell Morse something only to remember he was no longer with them; had seen him flinch once when a cold case had consisted of a robbery at the opera; and so many times had she watched him consciously withdraw from any young colleague he might come across, because he would have considered engaging with them an affront to Morse’s memory or because he couldn’t take the pain the memories brought, she couldn’t say.

They had never talked about it, of course; as far as she had known, Morse’s name hadn’t fallen from the chief inspector’s lips since he had died; but they had always felt he wasn’t far from his thoughts, since he’d never been far from theirs, either.

And now they were about to meet again.

**Rule Number Six: Control Yourself**

Peter and Resolve had managed to get to the town hall without too many problems along the way; once, it was true, a revenant had shown its face, but Resolve had acted without giving Peter time to do so, and they’d moved on.

They were the first ones to arrive as well, followed closely by DCI Thursday and… Amity, if he recalled correctly; and he couldn’t help but feel relieved to see another face than Resolve’s again.

God, he hoped this wasn’t because he was a vampire. That would have been…

“Jakes.”

“Sir.”

“Any news of the others yet?”

“They should be on the move” Amity quickly supplied. “You don’t have to worry.”

As if that had ever kept the Chief Inspector from doing so, Peter thought somewhat darkly.

And, as he watched him prowl about like a tiger in a cage, he couldn’t help but pray that Mrs. Thursday would show up soon.

Then she did, and things got for some reason even more complicated than they had been.

* * *

“There we are” Sage announced.

“And no more attacks. We got lucky” Valour supplied.

“Yes, but we lost a bit of time” Charity said. “The others should be there already…”

Good, then; she’d see Fred. Hopefully she could explain to him like she had to Sergeant Trewlove. It was, after all, not that difficult to refer to Sage by his new name…

She should really have considered that she knew her husband someone better than that.

* * *

Fred didn’t know what he had expected.

But it certainly hadn’t been the door opening and Win coming in, in company of –

Of –

“Morse!” he exclaimed, running up to them – only briefly stopping to pull his wife into his arms. “Good God, Morse! Never thought – I didn’t imagine – God, lad –“

“Chief Inspector” he said, colouring for some reason, “I really have to ask you to –“

“When did you wake up? Must’ve been shortly after the evacuation, after you… should’ve known a brain like yours wouldn’t just turn into a mindless monster. But that’s neither here nor there, how have you been –“

“Chief Inspector, Sage is right, you mustn’t –“

He had to chuckle. “Sage, eh? Well, if the shoe fits.” He quickly kissed Win. “And you took care of our Win? Of course you would.”

Just like the lad, really, to find Win at a time of need and make sure she returned to him unharmed.

God, he wished he could hug him properly, as undoubtedly Win must have done already, but he’d always been such a private sod… better wait until they were alone.

“Chief Inspector –“

“It’s Fred, Morse; certainly, you’ve every right to it.”

It was then that he became aware of Win’s hand on his arm. When he looked into her face, he was utterly startled.

Thirty years they had been married, and he’d never seen that expression on her face.

She drew him slightly away from Morse, and he was unable to resist or even to ask.

“Fred” she whispered. “They don’t remember who they were, and they believe they shouldn’t know. You can’t call him Morse or talk about the past.”

“But –“

“They are adamant. Sage has been telling me from the beginning…” she trailed off, then said, “I know it’s not easy.”

A shiver ran down his spine, but not because Morse didn’t know he had been Morse, or because he was a vampire now; no it was because –

He’d loved Win for decades, and he knew when she was laying.

And –

That thing about it not being easy? _Win didn’t believe it._

“But –“ he tried again.

And yet his wife shook her head at him. “No, Fred; trust me on this. At least not right now. We will have to be patient.”

The vampires, meanwhile, had gathered in a group and were quietly talking amongst themselves, Morse (bloody make him pretend that this wasn’t Morse, just watch him) right in the middle of the group. That in itself was unusual – unless they discussed a case, he’d always been content to stay at the side of any gatherings – if it hadn’t been for Win’s and occasionally Joan’s insistence, he probably would never have entered their house.

The hand on his arm suddenly grabbed him even tighter than before. “Promise, Fred.” And when he didn’t react, once more: “ _Promise me_.”

What could he do but acquiesce – looking into her pale face, her eyes wide open, and not recognizing her?

She seemed to be satisfied with the curt nod he gave her, for she led him back to the group that now consisted of a dozen or so vampires and all the humans they’d come with. “We have to apologize” Win announced, although Fred disagreed with her there. “But everything’s cleared up now; we won’t make such another scene, I promise.”

How easily _We_ had become _I_ ; Fred felt like a chastened child, especially when he saw a look pass between her and Morse that he’d often shared with her himself.

Amity then cleared her throat. “Really, there’s no apology needed. May I introduce everyone?”

Really, Fred thought rather morosely, this was getting out of hand as names were shared. Valour, Charity, Verity, Resolve… couldn’t any of them have picked something that sounded a little bit more… normal? Or at least human? Morse had always abhorred his first name, had denied it when given the chance; and now he was to call him Sage?

“Verity” Amity told him, trying her best to sound untroubled and cheerful, “is responsible for communications around here. She was the one we all kept in contact with during the past day and night. Couldn’t have done it without her.”

Verity beamed under the praise, although she was quick to try and deflect it. “Oh, it was nothing, really; always had a knack for radios and whatnots, ever since I woke up. Sometimes I wonder if I might not have been…”

“Verity, that is quite enough” Resolve, the rather quiet chap who’d come in with Jakes, declared, and she fell silent at once.

To his surprise, Morse reached out and laid a gentle hand on her elbow. She smiled at him.

Now, if this had been – if they had still been in the Oxford of three years ago, he would have smiled to himself and felt certain as to what was going on there, but nothing spoke of a closer relationship between these two; but that meant –

Morse had always been a bit stroppy. Always. He didn’t often show affection openly, and when he did, he waited until he was alone with someone – or at least in the relative privacy of a pub.

But he’d comforted Verity, just like that.

“We should take a look at the reports that have been coming in” Valour declared “So we know where the revenants are acting up.”

Revenants – monsters – as of two days ago, Fred wouldn’t have hesitated to call them vampires as well; but he had the distinct feeling that neither Amity, who he’d grown rather fond of as much as their limited time together had permitted, nor Morse, Morse, would have welcomed that, and so he decided to try and learn not to refer to them as such.

“A good idea, Valour. We have to know where it’s safe to take the humans.”

He was starting to think Resolve sounded just the least bit derogative.

“You don’t have to be that careful” Win uncharacteristically piped up. “We’re not made of glass, are we, Shirley?”

Sergeant Trewlove smiled. “I think we got lucky you showed up in time, that’s all.”

 _Showed up in time_? “What –“

“I’ll tell you, don’t worry, Fred.”

And that was all he heard of the subject just then.

“First things first” Resolve sighed. “We should proceed with the program; it has been thrown into enough disarray as it is. So if we just explain –“

“I think we’d best bring them up to speed, as they say, individually” Morse interrupted him. “The must all have been talking to each other, like I with Win – there’s no reason to repeat ourselves, is there.”

“How about I make a list of who knows what, dear?”

He smiled at Win as Fred could only look on. “An excellent idea.”

Resolve was looking from Win to Morse and back, frowning ever so slightly. “If no one has any objections…” he finally said, hesitantly.

“That’s settled then” Win said, as brightly as if she had managed to make Morse have dinner with them in the old times, and never seeming as if she considered the scene in any way strange.

* * *

They all stayed with the vampires they’d arrived with, with one exception. Resolve had accompanied Valour to go through the reports, and so Jakes had joined Fred and Amity.

In truth, he didn’t mind – as much as he might like her, it was still something to look closely into a proper human face again.

Even if Jakes kept shooting him looks it wasn’t too difficult to gather the meaning of.

As it turned out, Amity had to tell him much of what Fred already knew; Resolve really had been rather silent, it seemed, although Jakes certainly didn’t seem to upset about it.

True, he, just like they all did, Fred was ready to bet, kept glancing to the corner where Morse and Win were sitting, talking, apparently oblivious to everything and everyone else; but who could blame him for that?

God, how Fred longed to interrupt them, to tell Morse that he was bloody glad he’d survived, even as a vampire, even with the fangs and the blood-drinking; and yet he felt that he couldn’t, that Morse and Win were somehow lost in a world of their own.

**Rule Number Seven: All Things In Moderation**

Finally, they all seemed to understand one another, or at least understand enough to have a somewhat clear picture of what was going on.

It would have been a reason to rejoice, only that, just as they were all convening again, Verity approached Morse and drew him to the side, quietly and urgently talking to him.

When they returned, they were both frowning. “Resolve” Morse said “There is a problem.”

“Is there?” he asked, sounding slightly impatient, clearly rather annoyed at Verity, although Fred couldn’t say why.

“Yes; Verity tells me she can’t reach the Outside.”

“So? We failed more times than I can count before we finally managed to make contact.”

“But Resolve!” Verity said. “I am absolutely certain that I did everything I could to make sure –“

“No one’s infallible.”

 _Except for you when you can chastise someone, aren’t you_ , Fred thought. He’d seen the type enough times – especially in Oxford, filled with self-important dons; a petty little bully who had slid into a position of somewhat prominence, simply because he was one of the few who had woken up and was now trying to exert that authority over anyone he dared.

Already, Fred had noticed that he was far quicker to judge the women than the men. Yes, he knew people like him.

“Yes, well, I am sure it’s nothing that can’t be fixed” Win said.

“Of course not” Verity assured her with a smile even as she glanced at Resolve with worry in her eyes.

“In that case, we should probably be making dinner…”

“Oh, there’s a few of us who are alright in the kitchen” Amity said as something like panic crossed Verity’s face.

“Nonsense, you were kind enough to grant us hospitality in our old home – I am going to see what I can do in the kitchen… we do have something to celebrate, after all.”

Fred wasn’t quite sure he agreed with her there.

“So if you could just show me the way –“

As he should perhaps have expected, Morse all but jumped at the chance and led her away before Fred could say a word.

She’d barely even looked his way.

“Thank God” Verity breathed. “As Amity said, some of us can cook but I am not one of them.”

“Funny” Charity mused, “For neither, I could have sworn, is Sage.”

“That’s neither here nor there” Resolve decided, and in that at least, Fred had to agree with him. “I do not think the community agreed to any kind of feast, and the rules say…”

“The rules?” Fred interrupted him. The faces of the others suggested that they, too, had not heard of those rules, for all the explanations they had got.

“The conduct by which we shape our lives” Resolve declared. “We all agreed to them, and so we must agree on all bigger decisions.”

Fred thought he saw something like scepticism in more than one vampire’s face, but didn’t know how to answer.

It was Jakes who came to the rescue. “Good, then. Hold your vote. Anyone against celebrating?”

Said that way, there was of course little anyone could do to object, although Resolve looked like he might try until Verity, true to her name, burst forth, “Oh no – we’ve never celebrated anything, and Mrs. Thursday is right – in a way, it’s the beginning of a new era, isn’t it?”

Yes. The beginning of a new era. But what era, and whether or not it would be a good one, Fred couldn’t say.

He looked into the direction his wife had disappeared in.

* * *

Win chuckled. “Not too much pressure, dear, you’re trying to cut them, not…” she trailed off when she realized she couldn’t think of a not-violent simile, but that didn’t stop the smile on her face.

Sage looked up and chuckled as well. “Rather hopeless, am I not?”

She gestured towards the bell peppers. “I wouldn’t say that. You just need a little practice.”

He probably had had no reason to try and learn how to cook; she was rather sure he hadn’t known how to even back when he’d been human.

“Everyone’s been very kind” she said. When she saw his frown, she continued, “You don’t agree?”

“We think – that is – some of us feel – “ he sighed. “I’m sorry. There are so many rules, and I don’t wish to break any of them.”

“Tell me of those rules.” There was no need to be overly polite; not between them. He would know how she meant it.

He shrugged. “We – they came to us back when we were still all confused and didn’t know what had happened. No one can say who had the idea first, really, so we all agreed that was a good thing. There is no… no mayor here, no ruler, no king, if you will.”

She wondered if the powers that were in Windsor would have to say something about that, but then, they’d all been silent, back when they’d had to leave their home behind.

“And so you decide everything together.”

He nodded, then smiled slightly. “Normally, any kind of celebration would have to be voted on beforehand. I think it’s safe to say you rather overruled them all, Win.”

“Oh I didn’t mean to –“

“It’s hardly a bad thing. There has been so much to do, and so little to enjoy; I don’t think I’ve laughed or smiled so much since the day I woke up.”

In her heart, she felt glad, and she told him so. Glad to make him smile; glad to see him do so; and above all, glad to have come.

He looked down at the peppers again. “So… do you think I am in any way getting better?”

“Practice makes perfect, dear.”

* * *

There was a constant coming and going in the kitchen, although (she would later guilty realize for the thought never crossed her head then) Fred wasn’t one of those who came to see them.

Perhaps surprisingly, Inspector Jakes was the first. She’d never known him as well as Morse, for all he’d officially been his bagman for a while; but it was easy enough to tell what he was thinking as he watched Sage with big eyes.

“It’s alright, Inspector” he said evenly, never looking up from the stirring Win had just asked him to do, “I am aware that you all knew me – the man who came before me, I mean.”

Wait. He’d said me. For a moment, he hadn’t differentiated between that man and the vampire in front of her. For a moment, he had been both.

For a moment, she had gained Sage _and_ kept Morse.

“I – yes, that’s true. Look, Amity explained all of that” Jakes replied bluntly, fishing for a cigarette, then glancing at her and wisely deciding not to light it near the food. “With you not wanting to talk about the past and everything. But I just want you to know I’m glad you’re here. Alive. Undead. Whatever. _I’m glad_.”

Win, who was aware of the animosity between him and Morse back in the day, knew what it must have cost him to come here and tell him, and she thanked him with a smile; Sage, of course, simply answered artlessly, “Thank you, Inspector. That’s nice.”

“Peter.”

“Peter. It’s still kind of you.”

When Jakes had gone, he continued to stir, then mused, “It’s funny; of all those I’ve met – again – your husband had the strongest reaction, so it makes sense he knew me best; and yet…”

He stopped talking and she knew that he, like Win herself, was thinking of their bond.

“I wonder why –“

Again he abruptly cut himself off as if he wasn’t allowed to speculate on such things, and maybe, according to the rules, he wasn’t.

And then the other visitors came. There was Sergeant Trewlove, who gladly helped out and even started to good-naturedly bicker a bit with Sage, something he seemed to relish; there was Resolve (a rather stern, unlikeable creature, she feared) courtly informing them that the celebration had been approved; and then –

Well, then there were the other vampires. Verity, who really was rather helpless in the kitchen but more than made up for it by her earnest enthusiasm and her honest laugh when things went wrong; Amity and Charity, who were both more than proficient who happily and quietly helped out; Valour, who seemed never to have held a knife in his hand but nonetheless was always ready to fetch whatever they needed…

And it was more, so much more than that, she finally realized as she watched the lines of other vampires come and go, quite frankly, a few too many to remember all their names, whether they were only a few dozens or not.

It wasn’t just that they were curious because, for the first time in quite some time, a human was cooking for them.

No, there was another reason.

Sage was a common favourite. Everyone, it seemed, wanted a chance to talk to him, and not even about their visitors or the bond they must have noticed at this point – no; some simply wanted to gossip about their day a little, or ask how he was doing, and how things had gone after he’d fetched Win.

And Sage answered all their questions and asked his own with an easy smile on his lips she had never seen before but which suited him exactly.

With all of this, the time used for cooking passed quickly and pleasantly, and soon enough Charity decided that they might now set the table.

“We’ll carry our great one into the hall. That way, we can all sit together!” Verity excitedly suggested.

Amity nodded. “Be careful though, lest that needs a community vote as well…”

Verity only laughed as she left with Charity.

Sage caught Win’s eyes and grinned. “She’s such a sunshine. I can’t tell you how often she’s trying to make us laugh.”

If you asked Win, a friend like that would have done Morse good, as well.

But that was all in the past.

* * *

Fred hadn’t seen Win in hours, but a strange shyness had kept him from entering the kitchen; something in him couldn’t bear the thoughts of Morse’s eyes on him again without the lad knowing who he was and what had bound them together. They had been much closer than any bagman and governor Fred had ever known; when he’d heard of his illness, it had been like –

Yes, it had been like losing one of his children.

His children –

Communication was still down. He wondered what, if anything, Joan and Sam had been told.

He wondered what the people who had sent him here were thinking.

And he wondered when they would ever get back to London.

Not home; London. Oxford was their home, he still felt that in his bones, even now when he had seen what had become of the city.

When the vampires, Charity and Verity in front, began to move the table to the hall, he immediately volunteered to help. It was a better feeling than sitting around doing nothing, as he had done before. Jakes, who’d disappeared for a short while but other than that kept near him, moved at the same time.

And then they all sat down to have a meal – him, Win, the others, and a dozen vampires one of whom had once been a young man Fred thought the world of.

* * *

It was Amity who proposed the toast. She got up and reached for her cup (of water; it seemed that ironically, vampires didn’t care for alcohol, as long as they didn’t drink blood). “Well, my friends – Verity was right; a new era is dawning, one where we new vampires and humans try our best to get along and look after one another. To our guests!”

In some ways, Fred thought, it reminded him of a farce; but only as long as Win matter-of-factly got up to thank them for the sentiment and traded a gentle smile with Morse as she did so, the smile of someone she knew inside and out and felt completely comfortable with, the smile she used to show Fred or the kids.

In order not to burst out with something he might regret, he looked around the table. Most seemed amenable enough – Verity with her happy smile, Charity and her benign expression, Valour and his slightly confused but still friendly one – and Trewlove and Jakes were taking this quite well too; but none appeared as at ease as Win and Morse. God knew Fred wasn’t.

And yet, it was a feast, a celebration; there was no other way to put it, no other description he could give it. There was food, and despite everything, there were smiles and laughter; slowly, both humans and vampires were warming up to each other, or at least something very much like it.

Fred tried to catch Morse’s eyes constantly, but couldn’t say whether he was avoiding him or honestly being more focused on Win and the other vampires. Always ready to disrupt an awkward pause with a clever remark or a change of topic, making sure everyone’s plate and cups were filled, keeping an eye on their guests lest anyone grew uncomfortable… He was about as far from the introverted lad Fred remembered so well as he could get.

Still – even he had to admit that, all in all, things were going… better than they could have expected after the welcome they had originally received.

So it only made sense that they started to go wrong again as the meal was winding down.

Resolve – he’d kept rather quiet during dinner, but there seemed to be nothing unusual in that, from the reaction of the others, just as there was apparently nothing unusual in Morse’s behaviour.

“I am sorry to interrupt this celebration, but there is something you should know.”

Valour, who had been laughing just a moment ago, now looked rather guilty.

“As we decided, me and Valour have been checking on the reports and the revenant activity has been spiking throughout the entire city, which is one of the reasons we have stayed amongst ourselves today, instead of being joined by other vampires.”

“Are they alright?” Verity asked promptly, “I could send a message, the inner-city communications are still…”

“Everything is fine. But we need to be careful.”

Suddenly, Fred was rather sure what he was about to hear.

“I am very sorry. But as long as this continues, we cannot allow you to go out unprotected – and I fear opening the gates and allow you to leave is out of the question.”

* * *

What followed was naturally a longer discussion, but the point stood – the number of revenants walking on the streets was apparently growing constantly, and no one knew if they could amass enough weapons to guarantee anyone’s safety while they returned to the door; and any cars that had survived the evacuation had long since rusted or been trashed before the vampires could make use of them.

Win mostly kept silent, but not because she didn’t have anything to say; no, in truth, she didn’t want people to see quite how relieved she was.

 _We don’t have to leave yet, I don’t have to leave_ him _yet._

“The best thing” Resolve finally declared “Will be to wait until things have calmed down or we can make contact with the outside once more… they could send supplies.”

There was really nothing anyone could say to that. If it was too dangerous…

As they all cleaned up together, Sage came to her, as she had known he would. His eyes were troubled. “Something like this… it has never happened before. Something’s not right.”

“Your… theory?” she asked as quietly as he had spoken.

“It might be. We’ll all have to be very careful, Win.”

“I am sure we can be.”

A slight smile. “I am only afraid your husband seems a bit… impatient.”

“That’s Fred for you. Don’t worry, he just has to think things through.”

He nodded, trusting her judgement.

“Sage, a moment please.”

He sighed and went to speak to Resolve, who had called out to him; and she found herself next to her husband. “I’m sorry, pet.”

“What for?” she asked before she could stop herself.

He stared at her.

She quickly took his hand. “Fred, I knew this… I knew there were certain risks. And we are safe.”

“For now.”

“For now” she agreed. “But still – there’s enough food, and everyone’s been very kind.”

“Especially Morse.”

“Sage” she corrected him automatically.

“Sage” he agreed, although she could tell his heart wasn’t in it.

“Oh Fred”. She still hadn’t let go of his hand. “I know it’s – I know it’s a bit difficult; but underneath it all, he still has the same good, gentle heart. He might not remember, but that didn’t change. And you saw him during the meal – he’s so kind, and so well-liked.”

“Quite a departure.”

“Nonsense. People had a bit of trouble understanding him, and he had a bit of trouble understanding them, and that was all. Here, everyone is just trying to figured themselves out, so he doesn’t stick out, and he says what’s on his mind.”

“He’s certainly less reserved than he used to be” Fred answered dryly. “Even if he doesn’t want to speak to me.”

“Give him time. I think he’s wondering what to tell you.”

“Doesn’t seem to have that problem when it comes to you, pet.”

It wasn’t an accusation; it was simply a statement of fact.

“Maybe I don’t intimidate him.”

She couldn’t say why she didn’t tell him the truth.

“Oh no, this is Morse we’re talking about; hard to imagine him being intimidated by anybody.”

She didn’t correct him this time.

**Rule Number Eight: Do Not Idle Away Your Time In Merriment**

They were all given rooms, Fred and Win of course sharing one; this quickly prompted the vampires to commandeer their own and “sent for their stuff” despite the protests of a rather put-out Resolve.

While his wife soon sank into sleep, either exhausted by the last two days or because she truly felt safe, Fred couldn’t and lay awake for a while before getting up.

A pipe, that was what he needed now. Thankfully he’d brought a little tobacco with him.

As he filled it, he thought of the pipe that had broken what seemed like forever ago, on the roof top where Morse had saved him from Mason Gull…

He left the room after having put on a coat over his pyjamas (trust Win to pack everything they could possibly need).

The town hall was a large, spacious building the vampires must have managed to erect by simply knocking down walls and therefore opening up passages between old houses; and so, it was probably not surprising that he got lost a little in the corridors.

Nor that he came across Morse, Amity and Verity. The later was talking quickly and gesticulating rather wildly until Amity laid a hand on her arm; then they conversed in a low tone before the two women stepped away, although he could have sworn Amity glanced his way and then Morse’s…

Surely, he was too far away?

But no, for Morse came to him. “Chief Inspector. I could have sworn Resolve asked you all to keep to your rooms at night”.

He sounded more amused than anything else, and so he answered in kind. “I could have sworn that was a suggestion for everyone…”

“Oh, it has been for as long as we can remember, but that has never kept us to our rooms.”

And it wasn’t as if Morse had ever been one to obey the rules when he considered them useless.

After a pause, he added, “I would have come to you. I don’t know when, but I would have.”

And Fred, he realized, felt glad that it was so. “Thank you. And if I caused anyone –“

“It was understandable. I – we knew each other well, didn’t we?”

“Yes.” He figured a short answer would be the best choice.

“I thought so. But I’m – I’m the only one you knew, am I not? Your reactions to the others… they were not nearly…”

“You’re right. You’re the only one.”

He nodded and looked at him with eyes that were unchanged, were still those Fred remembered.

And he knew Win had once more been right.

He reached out and laid a hand on a cold shoulder. But who cared about that? “Lad, I know what your rules say, about not looking back and all that. But I cannot help it – indeed I can’t. I still care for you just as much as I did back then. Would be easy if I didn’t, but that’s how it is. Whether you want it or not.”

He was still looking at him; a peculiar expression crossed his face. Then he said, ever so quietly, “You did that… before. Comforted me like this, didn’t you.”

His shoulder moved under Fred’s hand.

“Aye” he agreed. “More than once.”

“I thank you for it.”

“You already did so.”

Over and over, by his loyalty, his showing up at Blenheim Vale, his unquavering support over the years…

_And I never had the idea to come see him as he lay dying. That was all Win._

“I… I think I don’t mind” he now said. “You caring for me. You or Win.”

He didn’t think he’d ever called her Win so easily while he’d been alive.

“The others… Trewlove and Jakes… they care for you too. Careful, though, lad; you might get used to it.”

It wasn’t something Morse had ever accomplished back in his lifetime, but why shouldn’t he succeed now? He’d come back from the dead, after all.

“I might like that” was all he said.

Fred’s hand slid down from his shoulder and he realized he didn’t need his pipe after all. “Good night, Sage.”

“Good night, Chief Inspector.”

He returned to their room still not quite understanding what was going on, but with a much lighter heart.

On his way, he passed Trewlove and Verity. They were laughing about something.

So much for their rules.

* * *

The next few days passed… well, if it hadn’t been so strange, Fred would have been prepared to call them downright cosy; their rooms were comfortable, there was more than enough food, and most of the vampires – both those they already knew and a few who braved the streets to visit them from other parts of town – were mostly friendly and affable.

Although not all were as ready to get close as…

Wherever Win went, there was Sage close behind her. It seemed to be the unspoken consensus amongst them all that these two belonged together in a way that no one could contradict or deny; and Fred thought that, if not for that late-night talk where he had seen so much of Morse in Sage, he might have been concerned.

Win barely spoke of London and their home, after all.

And yet… was there not something touching too, in him so clinging to her, like a son would to a mother in trying times? He knew she’d always have been willing to look after Morse, if he’d only let her, and now seemed to be the time where he did.

And with Sage, who was well-liked and respected, at her side, Win immediately sat out to make changes. For as they trusted him, they trusted her, and in extension, them all.

For one thing, the Town Hall was slowly but surely transforming into something like an actual comfortable home for one big… well, for one big family, Fred supposed; gone was the somewhat dreary aspect of it, and here to stay were carpets and stronger lamps and all the little things Win had always used to make the places they stayed in a home.

The vampires were changing too. The somewhat sombre clothes of those first two days quickly made way too much more brightly coloured ones, at least when it came to Verity and Amity; and the strict silence they had maintained at first, the formality with which they had greeted them, was all but gone within such a short time Fred wondered if they’d meant it at all.

Already, Win was talking about actually celebrating Christmas.

He was currently watching Verity beating Jakes at chess and thoroughly enjoying herself.

If only she could as easily have restored communications, but they couldn’t have everything.

Resolve stepped up to them; he seemed to be thinking the same. “Verity, you should be working.”

“I was working – the entire morning; I’m making progress. I’m just having some fun with Peter here to relax.”

Said _Peter_ was blushing. Huh.

“I’ll continue afterwards” she said carelessly, obviously shocking Resolve. “But –“

“And Sage said it would be wise to rest for a bit, so…”

Fred thought back to what he’d discovered about Resolve on that second day – a petty bully, he’d called him; and one who clearly didn’t enjoy Sage being consulted before him on the matter. “But Sage has no authority –“

“Isn’t part of the rules that none of us have?” she asked cheerfully.

And he could say nothing to that.

As he walked away – rather puffing like a pompous twat, if you asked Fred – Verity said “I mean, Sage is already close to humans, and the world is still standing, so we get to be too, wouldn’t you say so, Chief Inspector? Peter?”

Jakes mumbled something affirmative, still rather red in the face.

“Can’t say I disagree” Fred supplied, stuffing his pipe.

It was then that Sage entered, his eyes sparkling with mirth. “They sent me away.”

He’d been with Win, of course.

“What did you do?” Verity asked promptly.

“What makes you think…”

“Sage.”

“I couldn’t help it; they finally convinced Charity to wear something other than black, and… oh, Charity and _pink_.”

Verity clearly had to bite back a laugh, but still mock-glared at him. “I am sure you were disrespectful and not very courteous.”

That too – these days, they rather all bickered like siblings.

“Looking well, mate” Jakes said conversationally, apparently more than able to string a sentence together as long as Verity’s attention wasn’t focused on him.

And it was true – Sage looked as put together and healthy as Fred had often wished Morse would, back in the days that seemed so long gone, now.

“Thank you. I am doing very well.”

He grinned at them, then winked. “Good luck with your game.”

Jakes blushed again while Verity giggled, and they left them to it.

“I have to check something in the library” Sage told Fred. “I had an idea the other day…”

He didn’t elaborate, and Fred didn’t ask.

He probably should have.

* * *

Never one to feel comfortable while lazying around, Fred was helping Trewlove and Charity clean out another room that so far had been wasted as a form of junk room when Win stormed in.

He saw her pale face and immediately let everything drop. “Win, what –“

_“Where’s Sage?”_

**Rule Number Nine: Always Stay Vigilant**

“He said he had to look up something in the library –“

And Win didn’t say a thing, simply ran out again.

He didn’t even have to glance the others’ way, they were already moving towards the door with him.

They found Win and Amity at the door of the library, his wife hammering against it.

“We heard a snarl” Amity called out. “A revenant’s in there. And the door’s locked – Sage isn’t armed –“

“Sage! _Sage_!!!”

Luckily, Valour appeared at that moment, apparently alerted by the commotion. In a moment, he called out, “Chief Inspector, we need to open the door – sorry, Win”.

And he, as gently as he could, pushed her aside.

It didn’t take long for them to break the door down.

What they found was Sage looking atop a bookcase, bleeding from his arm, the almost-black blood of vampires, and not one, but two revenants trying to scramble up.

“Chief –“

Fred had already drawn the weapon he’d been given shortly after arriving at the Town Hall. One clear shot was enough to get rid of one of them, and even as the other tried to run, Valour did away with him as well.

Sage was breathing heavily as he climbed down. “I can’t thank you enough –“

_“Sage!”_

Win pushed past them and towards him.

“I’m alright…” but even as he said so, he was swaying on his feet.

“Let’s get you to your room.” And she led him away even as Resolve arrived and demanded to know what was going on.

* * *

“What happened?” Win asked as she was cleaning his wound.

“I don’t know. I was – I was looking up some old newspapers, from… before. You know, when everything… began. And then they were upon me…”

“Thank God Fred was there.”

“Thank God you came for me.”

“I always will, dear; you know that.”

“Yes. Yes I do.”

Win knew something too, however, something quite different. “You need blood.”

He looked away from her. “I don’t – what if I take too much –“

“You won’t” she said confidently.

It was how she got him to drink from her wrist, nursing him as if he had been her child.

And it was good.

* * *

Resolve having decided quickly that something must be done about their defences and having dragged Valour with him, the others were free to make sure Sage was doing fine.

He repeatedly assured them that he was, although Fred thought the lad looked a back shaken, not unlike when he had come back from being shot. He seemed calmer the more he was around Win though, so that was probably a good sign.

* * *

After that, all talk of Christmas fell to the wayside, and Resolve more than ever tried to drop hints about the Rules and how they were supposed to act, a fact that drove the vampires closer to the humans than ever; and one day, one of the last of the year, they all knew that something had to be done.

* * *

That night Win, Sage, Fred, Amity, Trewlove, Verity and Peter (who seemed to become rather inseparable, if you asked Win) met up in secret in the library.

“Someone must have let them in” began Amity. “That’s the only explanation; we’re always so careful…”

“But why? Why would anyone want to kill Sage?” Verity protested. “Everyone likes Sage!”

“While I thank you for your good opinion, I don’t think so” he drawled.

Win was holding his hand; she couldn’t yet bring herself to let go.

They were all thinking the same, but it was Verity, unlike before true to her name, who then quietly said, “Resolve.”

Peter nodded. “Don’t like the bugger myself; but the trouble is I can’t think of a motive.”

“Might just be he doesn’t like the attention Sage’s getting” Fred supplied. “You certainly listen to him more than to Resolve.”

“Because Sage is – well, Sage” Amity said simply. “There was some truth in everyone liking him – everyone but Resolve, that is; he’s helped most of us out more than once.”

Sage blushed. “Just doing what needed to be done” he mumbled.

“Still, there has to be more to it than that” Amity said.

They all agreed with her.

And suddenly, Win knew what would happen.

Indeed, a moment later, Sage said, “I think I have an idea. There’s a place I must go… where I became Sage.”

The hospital they had lost him in.

“Where you held my hand.”

She was not the least surprised that he’d remembered. 

He squeezed her hand, sensing her anguish. “Don’t worry –“

“I’m coming with you.” Before he could protest she repeated her words from that second day. “Where you go, I’ll go.”

He looked into her eyes, then agreed, “Where I go, you’ll go.”

“Win –“ Fred tried but there was nothing he, or anyone, could have done.

“It’s a good story” she said quickly. “To tell Resolve. If I fell ill, no one would be surprised that Sage would want to nurse me.”

“I can go with you –“

“I’m sorry, Chief Inspector, but it would look much more plausible for you to be the one to give us the news on your wife’s condition” Amity said and Fred had to admit she was right.

That was it, then. She and Sage would return to where it had all begun.

They left that night, there being little to no difference in the danger of the revenants whether it was night or daytime; the others had promised to keep an eye on Resolve.

Win drew Fred to the side. She couldn’t leave without letting him know the truth; she couldn’t.

“Fred” she began quietly, drawing his entire attention. “I know this past week – I know you must have wondered, you must have questions.”

He nodded, his eyes fixed on her face.

“The truth is, me and Sage… we’re bound to one another. Meant to be, in a way. Not like you and me” she hastened to explain what she herself couldn’t comprehend yet “But…”

“Like, with the kiddies?”

“Yes. No. In a way.”

Fred looked at her in a way he hadn’t since the day she’d insisted on getting married during the war. “I am not losing you then, Winnifred?”

“No”. She felt absolutely certain of that. “I love you; I love the children. But Sage is there now, too.”

He nodded. “Sage is there now too” he echoed. “Actually was that way ever since Morse showed up, wasn’t it?”

“Sort of” she agreed with a smile. “But I have to do this. With him.”

“I understand.”

And strangely, she had the feeling that he, in fact, did.

She kissed him and left with Sage without looking back.

* * *

Fred was, first and foremost, a detective; and now that he was presented with a case, it was easy enough to see what he had to do next. “We need to check Resolve’s room.”

“We’ll distract him” Verity said brightly. “I have an idea”. She turned to Peter. “You do want to marry me, darling, don’t you?”

He blushed even more fiercely than ever before. “Well, I mean – I wouldn’t have –“

“That’s set, then, It should be enough to send him straight into one of his lectures. Maybe he’ll even start screaming, who knows? And one could hardly blame the other humans for not wanting anything to do with this, especially if your wife is ill, Chief Inspector…”

“Of course not” Trewlove chimed in. “I’ll help you search his room.”

He nodded at her; she’d always been one of the officers he trusted most.

And so, a plan was hatched.

* * *

They walked steadily and quietly towards the hospital, both of them armed. “What do you hope to find?” she eventually asked.

“I am not certain; but there must be a reason for why we are the way we are, and others are not.”

“A motive?”

“We’ll see.”

She nodded and they moved on.

* * *

“This was not the plan! It is absolutely insane – _you aren’t even the same species –_ ”

As they had predicted, Resolve was rather upset about Verity’s and Jakes’ pretend (for now?) marriage plans, giving Fred and Trewlove all the time they needed.

So far, neither of them had entered a vampire’s room – the only exception was Win, who of course had started out with a carte blanche when it came to Sage’s, an invitation that had quickly transpired to consist of most of the others’ as well. And because his wife loved telling him about the work they were doing, he knew that Sage’s was full of books and LPs; that Verity had a thing for flower prints; and that Valour seemed to be collecting matchboxes.

The first thing he noticed about Resolve’s room was that it was utterly – he would almost have said carefully – bland. The furniture looked like it could have come out of any store, there were no pictures or books; it looked like a hotel room.

“Alright, if I was a priggish vampire, where would I hide things…” he muttered.

“Don’t think they’re that different from humans, sir. Most of the time, I forget that Charity and Verity and Sage are something else now.”

Fred had noticed it in himself too – a tendency to simply overlook the fangs and talk to them as if there was nothing special about it; and moreover, he had the feeling they liked it, for all that their Rules were supposed to keep them away from their human lives. “Good, then.”

In the end, Resolve was about as sneaky as he was nice, in that they found it under the mattress (a bare mattress; frugal and uncomfortable, even in that).

A diary.

“Let’s see what we have here.”

The name Doctor Leonard Faulkner was printed on the inside in careful, small letters.

As it turned out, it started a little over three years ago… when it had all begun.

“We need to read this.”

“Does he still use it?” Trewlove asked. “If not, he might not miss –“

She abruptly stopped talking at the same moment Fred cursed.

The reason was all too clear.

There, on the last page with something written on it, was a pool of blood.

* * *

Win remembered every second of the day she had gone to visit Morse.

She’d thought she’d never see the hospital again, but here they were, standing in front of it; luckily, they hadn’t been attacked.

“Don’t you need doctors?” she suddenly found herself asking.

“If we don’t get hurt, we don’t get sick. At least not a single one of us has known a moment’s illness.”

Apart from the one that had killed them, she thought. “What exactly are we looking for?” she asked as they were walking through the empty corridors.

“Files. There’s a theory I have been mulling over…” he stopped and turned to her. “Win, I know what I said when we first met, but… I don’t believe in that rule anymore. I don’t believe in most of them anymore, to be honest. So I ask… what was my name?”

The name he had not even wanted, Fred had told her, and the name that had been ripped from him in this very building, the name that had not passed her lips since that day.

She took a deep breath and gave it back to him.

**Rule Number Ten: Do The Right Thing**

Thankfully, Resolve was still berating Jakes and Verity, the other vampires doing their best to keep the discussion going; and so Fred and Trewlove quickly withdrew into his and Win’s room, the sergeant consenting to writing down the most important notes.

Fred quickly flipped through it, trying to get to the story behind all of this.

There. He cleared his throat and began reading aloud.

_October 21, 196-  
They haven’t noticed, but then, they often don’t when it comes to me. Few people have ever truly seen me – they see the white coat, they think doctor, but that is it. _

_Oh, some commented that I looked a bit pale, and a patient complained about my cold hands, but other than that, no one even considered the possibility._

_And why should they._

_The Plague kills. Everyone knows that. I knew it, too, and decided to stay in my house, over which threshold I have only very rarely let anyone, so I was no danger to people there; I wanted to die as I had lived, alone. For I knew I was not to become one of the monsters – felt it in my bones._

_Yes, I wanted to die alone._

_Even so, I have some confused memories – of someone at my side, praying – it was all nonsense, of course; hallucinations brought on by the fever._

_Instead of death, I was given a new life – a better life. I woke up without a heartbeat, and with a craving for blood; but that is easily amended in the hospital._

_No one knows, and no one else has woken up. They all just die. But I will wait. I will wait and I will watch._

* * *

The files had apparently all been shoved into one room and left to gather dust. And why should anyone have cared? They were evacuating the city, leaving behind the dying and the dead; no one would care for their names.

But they cared. Win and Sage cared, and they were looking for his file.

Win was determined to find it, no matter how long they would need.

The pictures – quickly taken when the patient was brought to the hospital so they could be identified, may it be after the fact – were depressing, but she pressed on.

And then she found the first piece of the puzzle.

“Sage” she breathed.

He came to her at once and frowned at the name on the file. “Hope Matthews?”

“Look” she said urgently, opening it to show him the picture.

He took a deep breath. “Verity.”

* * *

_November 3, 196-_

_There might be another one like me, although I cannot be sure yet. He was brought in as I was still getting my bearings, and has lingered on for longer than usual, but that in itself doesn’t have to mean anything – many have done so. But there is something in his face that suggests he won’t let himself die easily. Funny enough, for he is a priest; and they tell me he has always been a most fervent preacher. Not that it matters. The nurses try this, to keep the sick alive and human by telling stories about them but of course it never works. It can’t. Stories are stories, and life is life._

_But he might be like me, might share this new existence, and if that is so, then I would have a chance to study all the phases of the change, which I could not when it came to myself._

_For now I am waiting._

* * *

“What does it say?” Sage asked, and Win moved quickly to oblige him.

“Just the usual, I think… She was – is – American. Was studying here. Day of admission, time of death – wait!” She looked him straight in the eyes. “It says here – it says – another student, a friend of hers, insisted on visiting her. _She didn’t die alone_.”

It took him a moment to understand, then he breathed, “Like me”.

She nodded.

He stared into the distance for a second or two before saying, “That’s what I was thinking.”

* * *

_November 7, 196-_

_I never would have believed it, but all the nurses are saying the same thing, and even in the throes of the fever, the priest has been adamant – and for what it is worth, I lived – no, I live, for I have come back to life – in his parish; and it seems that, when I lay dying, he came to see me._

_I must have died when he was still there; but, the Plague seizing him almost immediately, he had no chance to tell anyone, and now it remains to be seen if he, too, can beat death. If so, we might be destined to be the harbingers of a new race –_

Fred broke off. That phrase in particular raised too many bad memories.

“It sounds like he was very convinced that he was in the right, sir” Trewlove supplied when the silence became too much.

“Yes, well, known a man or two in my time who were just that” he eventually settled on before continuing.

* * *

“Alright, so that’s Verity’s… if only we could find mine…”

And Win looked at him, and looked at the room, and walked up to a cupboard to take it out.

“But how –“

“I think it has to do with the bond” she said carefully. “I can’t be sure.”

“None of us can. May I?”

Realizing it was important to him – and how could it not be, when he was finally about to fully reconnect with his past – she handed over the file.

He traced the letters of his name. “Endeavour” he mused. “Hope. Seems lie some of us already bore virtue names”. He hesitated for a moment, then continued, “I don’t think I would have agreed – before – but I like Endeavour better. Less… just being one thing.”

She smiled. “Then there’s no reason for you not be Endeavour, if you choose to.”

“I don’t think any of us chose their names” he told her then. “I think we were given them by – by – “

“Resolve?”

“It could be. If only I understood what was going on –“

* * *

_November 10, 196-_

_I got lucky; I was on the nightshift, at his side, when the priest died. Or so they think; for I noticed – I saw that his eyes were not dead, even though the pulse and breathing had ceased; and I volunteered to bring him to the incinerator, for the order to have them all burned came but two days ago – too scared of the monsters; but I can no longer be so, for am I not one myself?_

_And so, I managed to smuggle him out of the hospital and back to my house before he ever woke up._

_We shall see where this shall lead._

* * *

“There has to be an explanation. There _has_ to be. This wasn’t Oxford’s biggest hospital for nothing…”

Then Win had an idea. She grabbed Sa- _Endeavour’s_ shoulder. “Endeavour. What about the earliest files? They have to be buried under here somewhere.”

“You think… the beginning…”

“It’s as good an explanation as anything” she simply said.

And they began digging.

* * *

_November 15, 196-_

_The priest is conscious, but rather confused. I cannot tend to him as much as I wish to, since secrecy is key; I cannot allow this new chapter of the human race to be sniffed out by fear and ignorance before I had a chance to study it._

_They still burn the corpses, but in most cases, this doesn’t mean a loss – too many are actually dead, or in the process of becoming senseless monsters; only we, only a few select special ones, seem to be chosen._

* * *

Win had known they had lost many to the Plague, but the sheer volume of the files was still depressing.

And yet it felt right, to try and start at the beginning.

There was something, too, about both Verity and Sage – Hope and Endeavour – waking up when they had been amongst those few who had people well and truly watch over them. It might have been coincidence, but somehow she doubted it.

And so they worked on.

* * *

_November 19, 196-_

_In my endeavours to understand the Plague, and what it has turned me and the priest into, I’ve accidentally come across something else – a way to control the monsters._

Fred broke off to catch Trewlove’s eyes. That man had realized – had known – what to do and had refused to tell others because, after surviving certain death, he felt superior over them?

He felt ill but continued reading.

_As it turns out, it is absurdly simply – proving my theory that there must be something superior in the brains of those who survive, albeit changed –_

There had been a time where he might have agreed; Morse had never been – well, ordinary; but thinking of what Win had told him, he was rather starting to suspect that it had nothing to do with the brain and everything to do with the heart.

_A simple mixture of chloroform, sprayed into their faces, makes them do your bidding – I could easily send them right into the incinerator today._

Good God, they were still talking about something that had been human people, once.

And yet he couldn’t have cared less.

Fred frowned as he realized that somehow, none of this quite fit with the Resolve he’d come to know – a bully, yes, a stickler for the Rules, yes, but this ice-cold disregard for all human life? It didn’t seem right.

_Meanwhile, the priest has been getting his bearings. He’s having trouble understanding what has happened to us; I assume because his worldview has been narrowed by the constraints of his belief for so long that he can’t begin to comprehend yet. I am optimistic, however; there is something about the heightened senses and the strength that comes with the transformation that feels right and correct._

_We are simply the next step in the human evolution; he just has to see that._

* * *

Win didn’t know how long they had been going through the files, but she wasn’t about to stop now. Endeavour was flying through them at a pace that seemed (and, well, all things considered, probably was) inhuman; but he still remembered to check how she was doing, and in his eyes there was no panic o mania – just the sparkle she remembered from his and Fred’s cases.

Suddenly, he called out, “Win – here’s something strange”.

Thinking rather fondly that with him, that could mean anything, she went and peaked over his shoulder.

“Resolve?” she asked upon seeing the picture.

“Yes – well – it’s no surprise he was one of the first – he always held to the Rules, and he tried to make us abide by them as if there was no alternative – but what I don’t get is that he used to be a priest…”

“The priest?” she asked artlessly. “But you said he burned himself…”

They understood at the same time. He let the file sink. “We only ever found a burned body, and a suicide note, with a cassock next to it. We thought he might not have wanted to destroy it, but –“

“Maybe it was too difficult to put it on another person” she finished the thought for him.

* * *

_December 3, 196-_

_My hopes have so far been unfounded. I can control the monsters, it is true, but why should I? There is no reason for it, beyond making it easier to destroy them._

He could have saved so many lives, thought Fred, his fingers clenching around the diary.

_But the priest – there, I expected everything, and have received almost nothing. He has turned into a whimpering, crying mess, believing himself to be damned; and nothing I say can convince him otherwise. How can he be part of the new generation? The mind bogles._

Well, maybe if he had shown some compassion, it would have made things easier.

_December 7, 196-_

_They have begun to talk about evacuation, as I felt they eventually would. Nothing’s decided yet, but it doesn’t matter to me – not in the least; for I will stay. There are bound to be others like me; and together, we shall find a way to change._

He didn’t like where this was going. He sounded too much like others Fred had known about, and especially with the war he’d been through…

_I will keep the priest with me. Let him cry and let him scream; he will eventually accept the new reality._

_December 9, 196-_

_The priest has lost what little reason he had. He came to me with a list of rules, claiming that we must abide by them if we wish to survive with our “souls” intact, as if those were anything but a concept of the church to control others._

Pot, meet kettle. Just because they didn’t want to control people his way…

_Well. At least I now know what I wish to do. There have to be others like me, and once the humans are gone – as I am sure they will be – we will band together, control the monsters, and start making plans to domi-_

The writing stopped and blood was splashed all over the page.

Fred closed the book. “Doesn’t sound to me like Resolve was the doctor.”

“No, sir.” Trewlove bit her lip. “If I am understanding this correctly – “

“He was the priest, and he killed the doctor. I can’t say it was a great loss, but it’s still illegal. We have to act, and quickly.”

As they entered the room where Verity was now openly (or rather, fake) crying, clinging to Jakes, while Resolve was still berating her, they saw Amity stand at the phone; she waved them over.

“Chief Inspector, it’s Sage and your wife. They say they found something…”

He grabbed the receiver. “Hello?”

“Hello, Fred.”

“Pet. What –“

“Resolve used to be a priest, and we think that he might have killed someone and burned them and made it look like he was the body!”

“That’s what we believe. Better get back here, pet; we need to make a plan. Resolve’s still a vampire, we’ll need all hands on deck here.” Belatedly, he realized he’d talked to her like he would a fellow copper, but she didn’t seem to mind.

“Endeavour says to keep an eye on Resolve; we’ll come back as quickly as we can.”

“Wait” he remembered. “You’re still at the hospital?”

“The nearest safe house.”

“You can get some chloroform, then.” He hastened to explain how one could control the revenants – she immediately understood what it meant, that Resolve must have set the two on Sa- Endeavour (he’d only ever wanted one name, and now he’d gone through three), and promised to be careful.

He hung up. Amity had heard enough to be perfectly aware of the situation. She bit her lip, making her fangs more prominent than ever. “Resolve doesn’t look like it, but he’s strong. We need Valour. I think he’s working somewhere in the east wing.”

“Better get him, then.” Fred nodded towards their suspect, Jakes and Verity. “I’ll keep an eye on this. You go.”

They acquiesced and went in search of Valour.

Fred slowly made his way over to the three left in the room, trying to appear calm and unconcerned.

Normally, it would have worked.

He should probably have remembered that vampires could hear their heartbeats and smell their sweat.

* * *

Valour was cleaning out another room when they found him. Shirley quickly explained what had transpired.

He appeared stumped. “Resolve? But he was always so adamant that we should follow the rules –“

“Because he wrote them” Amity said. “He was the one who found me… back then I thought it was coincidence. Now I think… I’m not sure… he might have tried to do the same to me as he did to that doctor…”

“Then why didn’t he? He had us all in his power, he –“

“He believes in right and wrong” Shirley realized “Despite everything, he still does. And none of you had done anything wrong. He couldn’t bring himself to.”

Valour pondered this for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. If Sage says that’s how it is, it must be true. Where is he? If you help me, Amity… and I think Charity’s around as well…”

“Good”.

And they ran back.

Only to find DCI Thursday, Jakes and Verity knocked out on the floor and Resolve nowhere to be seen.

* * *

“I should be able to subdue him with the help of Valour” Endeavour said “Since we can’t use this.”

With this, he meant the chloroform; he’d made Win try it on him, but apart from a slight dizziness, it had led to nothing.

They had thrown it into the face of the one revenant they had encountered, however, and he’d immediately stood still, making it easy to dispatch him.

If you asked Win – knowing they had been humans – it was a mercy.

“Once we get enough of it, clearing Oxford won’t be any problem at all” he said, sounding much happier than before.

But she was thinking of something else. “Do you like him?”

He thought about it. “Like? I can’t say that. But there are so few of us, and he’s part of us… and for what it’s worth, I think he believed to be doing the right thing.”

“He had those – those things attack you –“

“Because nothing was going according to his plan. I remember now, the discussions before we made contact… he wasn’t in favour of us meeting the outside world. He thought we should stay amongst ourselves.” He smiled at her. “And then you came, and you showed us we could live together, humans and vampires.”

“You all did that. I barely had to lift a finger.” She smiled back.

Then they hurried on.

* * *

They were too intent on finding Fred as soon as possible, and that was their mistake.

Endeavour was in front of her as they entered the Town Hall when suddenly Resolve came out of the shadows and knocked him down.

She wanted to cry out, but in the next moment, he had her in an armlock, a chloroform-soaked piece of cloth pressed against her face.

And it all went black.

* * *

Once they had succeeded in rousing them, all of them suffering a headache but mostly fine, the story was soon told – Resolve had noticed something was amiss, and had acted.

“It could have been worse” Jakes said as he helped Verity up, “He didn’t harm us.”

“I don’t think he’s out to harm people in general. From what I read in the diary, he was half-mad by the time he killed the doctor, and quite frankly, I don’t blame him. He woke up a vampire, locked in the house of a man with power fantasies… He must have felt like the ground had crumbled underneath his feet. And God only knows what would have happened if he would have got his claws into more vampires. In some ways, we got lucky” Fred replied.

He would come to rather regret that statement, for suddenly, there were cries from somewhere to their right, and they all moved as one.

What they found was Charity leaning over Sage – Endeavour – Morse, who was slowly coming to. “I just found him!”

Fred’s blood ran cold.

He leaned down and looked straight into the lad’s face. “ _Where’s Win_?”

He blinked at him, his eyes slowly clearing, and suddenly, his wife wasn’t the only one Fred was worried about.

When he shot up, he grabbed his shoulders. “Easy, lad –“

_“He’s got her!”_

He stared at Fred. “Resolve – he’s – he’s got Win.”

God, anything but that.

“But what could he possibly want with Mrs. Thursday?” Jakes asked.

“I think he sees her – and me – as a reason why his plans didn’t work out” Sa- Endeavour replied quietly.

“Don’t blame yourself” Fred told him, even though he wanted nothing more than to explode. But that wouldn’t help him find her. “We need to figure out where he took her.” An idea darted into his mind. “Win told me” he said quickly. “About your… bond.”

He nodded, as if it didn’t surprise him.

“Can you tell…”

“If something had happened to her yet, I would know” he said firmly.

Thank God for that.

“And I think” he continued, a little more hesitant, “I – I think I can find her.”

He didn’t hesitate, trusting Endeavour as much as he had ever done Morse, human memories or no human memories. “Lead the way then, lad.”

After they had gotten as many weapons as they could find, he did just that.

* * *

_I’m in a house somewhere, Endeavour_ , Win all but prayed _. I know you can find me; you would have found me without Valour’s help when we met, you’ll find me now. Oh, please hurry; I don’t know what he’s planning on doing._

So far, Resolve hadn’t come to see her, but she felt certain that he was around somewhere.

She’d only just woken up and was now busy studying the room she’d woken up bound and gagged in.

And then she saw the burn marks on the floor, and she knew where she was.

“It had to be done” Resolve, who’d entered so quietly she hadn’t heard, said. “He was… he was an abomination. He was going to… do unspeakable things. Someone had to stop him.”

She looked at him then, wondering if he could read her answer in her eyes; however, it quickly turned out that he was unable to look at her. 

“I thought about doing away with myself, too” he continued. “But that would have been a sin. Murder, God can forgive, but suicide?”

If you asked Win, there was a bit of a difference there, but Resolve had already gone too far.

“And so I decided to try and control the damage that had been done. I found them – as many as I could, as quickly as I could – and I did my best. I really did.”

Damage? Her blood boiled when he realized she thought of the others, of Endeavour, of Amity, of Verity, as damage. Somehow, she managed to spat out the gag. “But they aren’t doing anything wrong” she argued. “They just want to live their lives –“

“And there’s nothing wrong with that, as long as they follow certain rules” he argued. “So we can make sure no one gets harmed.”

“No one has been harmed” she told him, deciding not to mention herself for now. “We’ve all been getting along.”

“And there’s the danger” he argued with his twisted perception of reality. “Fine, let us assume that some are “getting along” as you put it, Mrs. Thursday – that maybe most of us, of the damned, are perfectly fine people. But what about the bad ones. What about the ones who are like the one who brought me here, the one who knew no rules, no law, no moral, the one who only cared about himself and the power he could garner. What about them? Just a handful of them would be enough to destroy everything.”

“But if all the good people banded together…”

“It wouldn’t make a difference. One bad apple spoils the bunch. Once the vampires see what they can do… And what if their actions bring on another Plague? No, it was all too dangerous. But I had everything under control. As opposed to the stories, there is of now no proof that they are immortal, you see. If I could just keep them contained, living out their lives here…”

He was switching between us and they, she realized, because he had never accepted himself to be a vampire, probably because he’d seen the one he had killed, that first one he had met, as a monster and nothing else.

“But they were never satisfied. They wanted out, they wanted to meet humans… the television, the music… I never could keep them from having that. And then they insisted on meeting humans, and I thought if we brought in some who had lived here before, who’d see what had been done to the city, they’d be disgusted or distrustful, and that might be that… and then…” he finally looked at her. “ _And they there was you._ ”

She didn’t answer.

“I wasn’t sure, at first. But when I – back when I – “ he glanced at the burn marks. “When I first woke up, there was something between me and him… something that I have no word for.”

“That’s why you killed him” she said quietly. “You knew you could never leave him behind, no matter what happened.”

Against all odds, she pitied him. She had her bond with Endeavour, with a good man; he had been tied to a maniac through no fault of his own.

“It caused me nothing but pain, so I assumed it must be the same for others, and yet… Sage followed you around like a puppy.”

She disagreed with that, although she didn’t say so.

“And you were only to happy with it. I prayed that you would at least be hesitant, but…”

“I love him” she said simply. “I did before, and I do so now. So he has fangs – it doesn’t matter to me.”

If anything, his losing his memory had led to letting his good heart shine even brighter than before, as he no longer felt any need to conceal it.

“You love him” he said sadly. “And those who love the damned…”

He didn’t finish the sentence.

It was only then that she realized he meant to kill her. Somehow, she hadn’t been scared before.

* * *

Endeavour didn’t need much time; the second they had decided to try and find Win, he was off.

Fred couldn’t quite understand, but he sure wasn’t going to complain.

And so, they ran after him.

“Where could he have taken Mrs. Thursday?” Jakes asked. “Certainly, someone like that would have someplace in mind…”

And he had a whole broken city to hide her in.

But they had Endeavour, who was darting left and right, moving as fast as he could without losing them.

There was so much that could still go wrong, Fred knew. Hostage situations were always complicated ( _if_ this was a hostage situation, dear God, he had to pray that it was), and if Resolve should guess that they were coming, if he should decide…

But he couldn’t afford to think like that. For now, he had to forget the husband, and be nothing but a copper trying to save a woman’s life.

And at least he had several vampires with him, not to mention his trusted team, with Morse or Endeavour now belonging to both.

* * *

“What do you plan on doing to me?” she eventually asked quietly. At least he had made no move to gag her again.

Because, she realized when he looked at her, he didn’t think she would be doing much more talking.

“I need to set an example to what happens to those who feel that vampires and humans can peacefully co-exist.”

“But they can!” she protested even as she knew it would be useless; she couldn’t help it. Even if they didn’t find her in time ( _Endeavour, I still believe in you, I’m waiting_ ) she wanted to die voicing her beliefs. “And do you really think this will change anything? They know now. They _want_ to learn about humans, and they _want_ to see the world. There is nothing you can do about it.”

“If that is true” he said quietly, “Then I’ll have to do what I have to do.”

And she knew then that he had gone too far – he’d cracked, as Fred would have said; there was no going back for him, even if he somehow could be made to let her go.

He looked at her almost gently. “You won’t be burned” he then told her. “And I promise I’ll be kind.”

To his mind, there probably wasn’t anything wrong with that statement; he’d dispatched the other one in a way he saw fit but would make sure Win didn’t unduly suffer.

_Oh, Endeavour, hurry…_

* * *

Amity gasped when she saw the house Endeavour was heading towards. “ _Sage_!”

He only very reluctantly came to a standstill.

“That – that house –“

He nodded. “I know.” He turned to Fred. “It’s the one where we found who we believed to have been the priest – me and Amity.”

“We’d just woken up and had managed to run into one another” she supplied. “And this wasn’t exactly a nice way to start our new existence.”

“Resolve showed up almost immediately after we found him” he said, “didn’t he?”

“Oh God, we really should have –“

“We don’t have the time” Endeavour interrupted her, growing deathly pale, “ _Win_ doesn’t have the time.”

He fought down a surge of panic. “Alright, lad, what do we do? You do know the outline of the house?”

He nodded. “If we close in on him…”

“I’ll try the backdoor, or window, or whatever” Valour promptly said. “Distract him. He’ll have to come check”.

“Valour, you were hurt just –“

“And she bound me wound” he said artlessly with a simplicity that made Fred feel incredibly grateful. “I want to help.”

He nodded, then turned to Fred, hesitated for a moment, then spoke, “This isn’t the first time we have done something like that, isn’t it… sir.”

“So I am not the only one” Amity muttered, but Fred couldn’t concentrate on anyone getting back their memories at the moment.

“Oy, lad” he agreed.

Endeavour studied the others; Jakes simply nodded and Trewlove gave him an encouraging smile. “So what do you suggest?”

He took a deep breath and concentrated on the task at hand.

* * *

Resolve had left the room for a few minutes, leaving her to ineffectively struggle against her bonds. When he returned, he was carrying a revolver.

“I really wish I had found something bigger” he said apologetically. “I wanted to make absolutely sure… but this will do. I had to grow rather good with weapons.”

“Resolve…”

His finger tightened on the trigger. “Why do you think I chose this name, Mrs. Thursday – why do you think I gave them all virtue names? To remind them – and myself – of our duties. And by God, I will fulfil mine.”

She didn’t close her eyes. She wouldn’t give him that satisfaction.

Somewhere over them, glass broke, and Resolve looked up, temporarily distracted. “It can’t –“

He ran out, thankfully before using his weapon on her.

She didn’t doubt for a moment that this was Fred’s and Endeavour’s work and quickly struggled to her feet.

She had to get out of here.

* * *

Jakes had accompanied Valour, and Fred, Endeavour and Verity were now at the front door, the others having surrounded the house. If he tried to escape, they would stop him.

Apart from the fact that suddenly, Charity ran up to them. “Let me –“

“What –“

Even before Fred could finish his sentence, she had opened the lock with a hair pin.

She smiled. “No, Endeavour’s most definitely not the only one who’s slowly been getting his memories back since you showed up – my late Ernie was a bit of a crook. A charmer though.” Her eyes sparkled mischievously. “I’ll be on my post with Verity.”

And she was gone again.

They entered and immediately heard four or five gunshot wounds in quick succession.

Loathe as Fred was to do so, he urged Endeavour, “Go. Find Win. You can do it much quicker than we can. We’ll deal with Resolve.”

He was off.

* * *

It wasn’t easy, walking bound, but she certainly wouldn’t wait for Resolve to return and kill her.

And the shots… God, she hoped no one had gotten hurt –

Just as she reached the door it sprang open.

“Endeavour!” she all but sobbed with relief.

He made quick work of her bounds. “We need to get out of here”.

“I don’t think so” Resolve said almost pleasantly from behind them. “I _really_ don’t think so.”

* * *

Fred and Amity raced up the stairs, only to find themselves in the middle of a stand-off between Resolve, Jakes and Valour, the later clutching his side but standing upright.

When he heard them coming, Resolve shot once more at the two, who managed to duck out of the way just in time, then turned quickly and fired at Fred and Amity, managing to squeeze past them as they, too, were forced to fling themselves against the wall.

“Jakes?” he barked, much as he wanted to pursue him immediately. “Valour?”

“I’m not hurt, sir.”

“I’ll be fine; just a graze.”

That was enough for Fred to move.

* * *

Endeavour had immediately come to stand in front of her; she clung to him.

“This ends now” Resolve said.

“Couldn’t have said so better myself” Fred announced, and once more, she could have cried with relief.

“I’ve got you” Endeavour whispered.

“And I you.”

“I am sorry, Chief Inspector, but this has gone too far. I am going to shoot – either one or both of them. And there is nothing you can do about it.”

“There is!” Sergeant Trewlove – the others, Win would later learn, had decided to come in when they heard the gunshots – “Please, listen to me. I know why you woke up again.”

“It was a punishment from God” he said. “I know I was a priest, although not much more. I must have sinned…”

“No, you didn’t” she said decidedly. “When we found the doctor’s diary – I took notes”. She read from her notepad, from what Win could see.

_“I got lucky; I was on the nightshift, at his side, when the priest died. Or so they think; for I noticed – I saw that his eyes were not dead, even though the pulse and breathing had ceased; and I volunteered to bring him to the incinerator, for the order to have them all burned came but two days ago – too scared of the monsters; but I can no longer be so, for am I not one myself?”_

“I know the diary –“

“Yes, but listen – he wrote this before - _Even so, I have some confused memories – of someone at my side, praying – it was all nonsense, of course; hallucinations brought on by the fever._ And before, it states you were known as a fervent preacher. Why wouldn’t you go see a sick neighbour and pray with him, for him? Think; you were there, caring for him, when he died, he did the same to you – I am ready to bet that didn’t happen often; everyone knew the hospitals were understaffed, no one could be sure when someone would die, so most would _die alone_. And the few lucky ones – like Endeavour here… Mrs. Thursday went to see him. He died with her by his side. Don’t you see? It was never a punishment from God. If anything, waking up again was a proof of charity, of _mercy_.”

Win remembered something. “Verity – Hope’s file. It said a friend came to see her.”

The gun in Resolve’s hand was trembling. “But…”

“It’s about love, Resolve” Win said, stepping forward while still holding on to Endeavour, “It’s always been about love. Familial love; love of humanity; whatever way you put it, it’s about love. That’s probably why none of you have problems keeping your blood list at bay. Deep down, you know. Resolve. Put the gun away. Let’s start over.”

“Start over…” He looked at her with eyes full of sorrow, then laughed a humourless laugh. “I’m very sorry” he said softly “But I don’t think I can do this.”

Endeavour knew what he would do, and so Win was pulled back, her face pressed against his breast, as Resolve raised the gun to his temple and pulled the trigger.

* * *

“It was too much for him” Endeavour said with honest regret in his voice, “What he had built – the rules, our community – it didn’t make him happy, but it was something, all he had to cling to. When he learned the truth, he couldn’t take it.”

They were all sitting around the dining table in the Town Hall, the one they’d dragged into this room on that remarkable first evening when they had all been together.

Win had insisted on making them tea, of course. Nothing a proper cup of tea couldn’t fix.

“It might have been for the best” Amity said. “He would never have accepted this new reality.”

Yes, that was probably true, Win thought. She was sitting between Endeavour and Fred, of course.

“What now?” Verity – no, Hope, she had insisted on it – asked. “I mean, it’s nice knowing the flashes I have been getting are memories, and I like my name” Jakes muttered something about agreeing with her and blushed (how adorable he looked when smitten) “but…”

“First things first” Endeavour decided. She had already noticed that, with Resolve and his gently bullying demeanour gone, the others looked upon him and Amity as their leaders quite openly, and it filled her with pride. “We have to scramble together all the chloroform we can find and deal with as many of the revenants as we can. And then…”

“Then” she said quietly, “We should celebrate New Year’s. It’s in two days’ time.”

“That’s an excellent idea” Amity grinned at her. “A new beginning.”

“A new beginning” most of them echoed.

Endeavour squeezed her hand.

* * *

After having lived without them for so long, the steady stream of memories flowing back into his mind was almost as overwhelming as it was welcome; and he had needed a break from everyone – even from Win – and so had stolen to the roof to breathe the night air.

 _Endeavour_. A name he remembered he had abhorred, but which now seemed more than appropriate.

Yes, he would endeavour to bring vampires and humans together; and with Win’s, Amity’s and the others’ help he had no doubt that he would succeed.

Someone cleared their throat.

It was Peter Jakes, lighting a cigarette.

By now, he remembered their contentious relationship; but he also remembered something else. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For telling me you are glad I’m alive. It was kind.”

“It’s true” he shrugged.

They were silent for a moment.

Then he added, “Whatever happens, I’m staying with Hope.”

“ _I’m_ staying with the Thursdays’”.

“Yes, well, I hope you don’t expect me to be surprised. That adoption went through long before any of you ever realized.”

And he laughed, freely, openly and happily.

**New Year’s Eve**

Now, with Resolve no longer disturbing communications with the outside world (they had simply been so used to him always slinking around the suspicion had never entered their minds) and controlling the revenants to make the city an unsafe place – Endeavour had told her they had actually found an old office building where he had kept some of them, they had put them out of their misery, poor things – there was a constant coming and going in the Town Hall, of vampires who were curious and mostly jubilant that they might very well get their memories back; and as such, Win had prepared an entire feast with the help of the others.

Endeavour and Amity were developing a plan; after a few suggestions of Win, they had decided to first contact Miss Frazil, who was now working for a London newspaper.

But that was for later. For now, they were celebrating.

Endeavour cleared his throat, got up and raised his glass. “It’s wonderful to see us all together” and indeed, almost every single vampire of Oxford had come “for the first time. I know it has been difficult – we’ve lived in the darkness for so long, but dawn is approaching. So I raise my glass to old friendships, new ones, and new beginnings!”

“New beginnings!” they all called out.

Win caught his eyes and smiled brightly.

New beginnings, indeed.

**One Year Later**

Not everyone had come back, but they had never expected that. Nonetheless, Oxford was once more brimming with life – human and vampiric life, the revenants having been quickly dealt with.

Some of the first to show up soon after Miss Frazil’s article had been printed had been Joan and Sam; their daughter had seen Morse and laughed and laughed and laughed. “Well, that explains a few things.”

Sam had simply shaken his head.

Most of the early arrivals had been those who, like Win, shared a bond with one of the vampires due to watching over them when they had still been human; and so far, they had proven invaluable in forging links between the past and the present.

They were slowly but surely growing into a community; and fireworks had been arranged in order to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the day everything changed, as well as the start of a new year.

Win was currently finishing making breakfast, when Endeavour came down from his and Sam’s shared room. There had been no question where he would live, once their house had been fixed.

Having felt through their bond he was awake, she’d already prepared a cup of tea with a splash of blood. “There you go, dear.”

“Thank you, Win.”

“Another New Year’s Eve, then” she said quietly.

It was. Another New Year’s Eve, another step into the future.

He nodded and smiled at her.

“Another New Year’s Eve” he agreed.


End file.
